Race to the Edge 4
by Edelweiss Dragonborn
Summary: Here is the next season of Race to the Edge.
1. Defenders of the Wing pt 2

Race to The Edge 4

Defender of the Wing pt. 2

Mala glared daggers at Hiccup as she pressed the sharp tip of her sword to Hiccup's throat. Hiccup could feel sweat on the back of his neck, though he couldn't tell if it was fear or the heat of the volcano. The dragons growled and took a fighting stance.

"I warned you Hiccup," Mala hissed, backing Hiccup towards the other riders. All at once the riders, dragons and defenders took aim at each other. Hiccup stood in the middle of it all. But then just as they were about to fight, there came a loud roar from above. Everyone looked up to see two dragons, one green and one black flying towards them, both wearing armor. Hiccup almost fainted from relief. Re and Tenor landed beside him.

"Boy am I glad to see you Re," he said. Re turned and glared at him.

"I got a few things to say to you later," he growled. "Concerning my gold." He then turned to Mala. The defender queen looked him up and down.

"I am Mala, Queen Defender of the Wing," she said. "Who my I say are you?"

"I am Re, and this is Tenor," Re answered. "We speak for the dragons." Mala instantly lowered her sword.

"These riders are our allies," Tenor said. "Killing them will only be doing Viggo a favor."

"You are here to vouch for them?" Mala asked.

"Yes," Re and Tenor said in unison. The Defenders backed down.

"Now from what I see," Re said. "You're in a bit of a pickle. This volcano is getting full."

"Viggo's dragon hunters stole our Eruptadon," Mala explained.

"Lava Eater," Re said.

"Viggo used us as a distraction so he could steal their dragon," Hiccup said. "He tricked us all."

"How long ago?" Re asked.

"Not long," Hiccup said. "We arrived about an hour ago, he would have taken it between then and now." He turned to Mala again. "We will go and get your dragon back. I'll even leave some riders here to help you block that lava flow."

"You're best riders," Mala said.

"Of course," Hiccup said. "Heather's a survivalist, she's dealt with lava before. And Ruff and Tuff, are really good a clearing things up."

"I'll stay behind as well," Re said. "I am no Eruptadon, but I have spent my life studying volcanoes. I know a few tricks." Mala sighed.

"Very well," she said. "I accept your offer, on one condition. I go with you to save our dragon." Everyone looked surprised at this.

"I thought you said you wouldn't ride a dragon," said Hiccup.

"I will do whatever it takes to save our Great Protecter," Mala said. Suddenly the dragons growled and tensed up. Arrows show out of the bushes, but missed. One almost hit Hookfang, which set him off. He roared and whipped his tail around, smacking into Snotlout. He sailed through the air and landed in front of Mala. More arrows shot out. One was headed right for Mala, and she had no way of stopping it. When it seemed like it would hit her, Snotlout stood up and it bounced off his helmet. Mala smiled at him, then jumped into the bushes. Everyone waited, and soon Mala came back out dragging two hunters. She threw them to the ground, and pointed her sword at them.

"Where's the Eruptadon?" she demanded. The hunters said nothing. Toothless came up beside Mala and growled. The hunters cracked.

"Viggo's traveling north with your dragon," one said. Mala smirked. Hiccup ran to Toothless and mounted up.

"Saddle up everyone," he ordered. "Come on Mala." All the riders except Heather and the Twins mounted up. Mala hesitated.

"No, I won't be riding with you Hiccup," she said. "I'll ride with him." She pointed at Snotlout of all people. Everyone looked stunned, even Snotlout. Hiccup turned to Tenor.

"Tenor, will you lead us north?" he asked.

"Yeah, no problem," Tenor said. He seemed eager. "Let's get going. My queen's waiting for us." Mala got on Hookfang behind Snotlout. They took off and Tenor lead them north.

As they headed after the hunters, Hiccup noticed that Tenor was more excited than usual.

"What's up with you?" Hiccup asked. "Why are you so excited?"

"You'll see," Tenor said. "We're about to meet up with Serenity and Aurora." He picked up the pace. "We'll be making a short pit stop, but it'll increase our chances of getting this Eruptadon. Viggo won't see it coming."

"How far 'til this pit stop?" asked Astrid.

"It's straight ahead," Tenor said. They followed his gaze and they were all surprised at what they saw.

Sailing towards them was large boat, except it was sailing in mid air. The ship was clearly an old hunting ship, but instead of masts and sails it was being held in the air by a huge red balloon, the size of a Scauldron. A large metal box in the middle of the deck with flames coming out of the top, sending hot air in to the balloon. A large pair of dragon-like wings were attached to each side of the ship's haul, a large tail came out the back of it, and there were a few fin-like sails on the bottom of it. The ship was painted a dark red and was lined with Gronkle iron. The prow was carved in the shape of a dragon's head. All along the top deck were catapults and ballistas. Queen Aurora was waiting for them on the main deck. She smiled as they landed.

"Welcome aboard Skywalker," she said.

"We need to head north," Tenor said. "The hunters have captured a Lava Eater, and they'er heading north. It's crucial we find it, this one's village is under threat from a volcano." He pointed at Mala.

"We'll get it," Aurora said. She went to the large metal box in the middle of the deck and opened a small door. She shot her blue fire into the metal box, and sent more heat into the balloon. The ship started to move. Tenor looked up at the driving deck.

"Serenity go left," he called. "Full speed." Serenity, who was the one steering the ship, tipped her hat. She gripped a large joy stick and tilted it to the left. The large wings tilted, causing the ship to go left. She then pulled a leaver on either side of her chair. A pair of triangular sails folded out on either side of the haul, and the ship picked up speed. Serenity then turned the chair around and pulled a rope. A half moon shaped sail on the very back of the deck opened up, and the wind caught it, making the ship go even faster. Serenity spun back round, and took the helm again. She used peddles on the floor to control the tail. The ship sped north at the speed of a Nadder. Serenity kept it straight. The riders and dragons got themselves ready for the battle.

In no time at all, they spotted a hunting ship bellow. It was heading in the same direction as Skywalker.

"There they are," Hiccup said, getting back on Toothless.

"Viggo, without any backup?" said Fishlegs. "That's a bit unusual."

"You're right Fishlegs," Hiccup said. "He's up to something." They flew closer.

"Why don't we just bomb it?" Tenor asked. "Give this ship something to chew one."

"We can't, if the Eruptadon is on that ship and we sink it, it'll go down with it and Eruptadons can't survive in water," Aurora argued. "We'll have to use regular dragon fire for now, and only aim at the sails."

"We'll ambush it," Hiccup said. He then turned to Mala. "You should stay up here, something doesn't feel right and you're not used to arial combat." Mala nodded in agreement.

"Remember Hiccup, if you fail me," she threatened.

"I know you will kill me," Hiccup said.

"Or perhaps I'll have my new king do it for me," Mala said, and she gestured to Snotlout. They were all taken aback.

"Since when is that a thing?" Hiccup asked.

"Unlike the rest of you, she recognizes quality in me," Snotlout boasted.

"Come on," Tenor said, getting impatient. "We're running out of time." The riders got on their dragons and followed Tenor and Aurora off the airship and towards the hunters. Mala watched from the deck. The riders and dragons attacked the ship. Mala watched, clearly intrigued by the riders. Serenity pulled a chain which connected to a large bellow, that blew air and Zippleback gas onto the fire, making it bigger and sending more heat into the balloon. She then steered the ship in wide circles over the hunting ship. Mala glanced up at her, and she swallowed nervously. Though she seemed to be on the good side, Serenity still feared Mala. She had never met her before, and Mala reminded her of a spider almost, so still and unpredictable. But she shook her head and returned her focus to flying the airship.

Soon the riders and dragon succeeded in clearing the deck of the hunting ship, as the sun went down. They landed on the deck and Serenity flew the airship right over them, pulling it to a stop. She dropped a rope ladder allowing Mala to climb down to join them. Hiccup went below to look for the Eruptadon.

He came back empty handed. He sighed as he faced the others.

"No sign of Viggo, or the Eruptadon," he said. They all glanced at Mala. She looked nervous and was silent for a few minuets.

"This does put me in a bit of a predicament," she said after a while. "On the one hand the valor in which you fly your dragons in battle is, undeniable. But on the other hand..." She stopped, and they all knew the end of that sentence. But then her face lit up. "There could be a way out of this however. New rulers of the Defender of the Wing are granted one pardon." She looked at Snotlout, waiting to hear his opinion. Snotlout began pacing, muttering to himself. Tenor and Aurora exchanged a bored glance.

"Let us know what the outcome is," Tenor said. He and Aurora flew back up onto Skywalker. Tenor went up to sit beside Serenity.

"When we get this Lava Eater back, we should demonstrate this ship's weapons," Tenor said. "I'm sure the riders will be very impressed." Serenity looked at him sadly, also looking slightly bored.

"I'm going to have to fly this through battles aren't I?" she said, placing a hand on the helm. Tenor sighed.

"You're going to have to step outside your comfort zone my dear," he said. "It'll be scary, but if you follow our lead, nothing will happen to you. You don't have to fire any weapons, Re made you that promise. All you need to focus on, is flying the ship." Serenity didn't looked at him, staring at the helm but not really seeing it.

"Serenity," Tenor said, looking her in the eye. "We need you to trust us. Can you do that?" Serenity sighed and rested her head on Tenor's neck.

"I trust you Tenor," she said. Tenor smiled and licked her cheek.

"You'll be alright," he said. "Re's even going to let you use this ship as a portable hospital."

"That would be nice," Serenity said. "I like this ship, excluding the weapons."

At that moment Mala came back up the ladder, and the riders circled the airship on their dragons.

"We're heading south," Hiccup said. Serenity sat up and stretched. She pulled on the bellow and the fire blazed. The ship drifted away, and Serenity steered them in the direction Tenor pointed. Then she steered the ship up higher. The riders flew along side it, keeping well clear of its wings and balloon. No one spoke for a while. Tenor laid down beside Serenity's chair, reserving his strength. Serenity kept the ship steady.

As they headed over the ocean, the sun started to rise again. The atmosphere was very quiet, except for the roar of the fire filling Skywalker's balloon. Hiccup suddenly noticed that Mala looked very sad. She stared down at the water below, clutching the side of the ship. Hiccup flew Toothless near enough to talk.

"You okay Mala?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," said Mala.

"If you're feeling air sick, we'll be landing soon to water the dragons," Hiccup said. Mala looked at him.

"He's hungry Hiccup," she said.

"Who Snotlout?" asked Hiccup. "He's always hungry." Snotlout scowled.

"No, the Eruptadon," Mala said. "He must constantly eat lava, or he will die." The riders exchanged a glance. Mala continued. "When I was little girl, an earthquake disrupted the lava flow. The Eruptadon went for weeks without food. He soon became so weak that he couldn't fly to a different food source. Our beloved dragon was in danger of starving to death. Preyers to the gods eventually got the lava flowing again."

"A starved dragon is no good to Viggo," Hiccup said. "He has our dragon eye, he must know this about the Eruptadon. We'll fly around every active volcano until we find him."

"The Eruptadon doesn't necessarily need an active volcano," Aurora said. "If it's hungry enough, it'll burrow through a dormant volcano until it erupts and it can get the lava."

"Like a vampire?" Serenity asked.

"More or less," Aurora said. Everyone fell silent, a sense of dread filled the air.

"Dormant volcano?" Fishlegs said. "The snowcapped mountain on Dragon's Edge is a dormant volcano."

"What! When did you discover this?" Tenor asked, confused.

"Meatlug and I discovered it last month," Fishlegs explained.

"Viggo's going to use the Eruptadon to destroy our home," Hiccup hissed.

"It'll explode like Vesuvius," said Serenity said. They turned towards Dragon's Edge, and flew a bit higher where the wind was slightly stronger. The sun came up as they neared it.

They soon reached the Edge, and found it surrounded by hunters. The Eruptadon was nowhere in sight, Hiccup suspected it as already at the volcano.

"The quickest way to the volcano is straight over the island," Hiccup said. "We'll go that way and find the Eruptadon."

"Um, Hiccup we can't fly over the island," said Fishlegs.

"Why?" Hiccup asked.

"Because of them," said Fishlegs. He pointed to several hunters aiming the Edge's own catapults and ballista at the riders.

"Ok, then we'll fly around the edge," said Hiccup.

"We can't do that either," said Fishlegs. He pointed to ships blocking the way around the island. Hiccup roared in frustration.

"We can take out the ships," Tenor said. "If you guys will take out the others."

"Ok, thanks," Hiccup said. Mala jumped back onto Hookfang, and the riders separated from the airship. Tenor turned to Serenity.

"Take us down towards those ships," he said. Serenity sighed and gripped the helm nervously.

"It'll be okay," Aurora said. "You won't get hit, as long as you stay right there." Serenity nodded and drove the airship towards the hunter's ships.

"Ready a Nadder attack!" Aurora called. At once more Draconian dragons came up from bellow decks, and positioned themselves beside the ballistas. There were spears already in place, their tips were shaped like Nadder spines, and made of Gronkle iron. The dragons aimed the ballistas at the first ship. When they were in range, they fired. The spears sailed right through the ship's deck, putting several holes in it. The ship sank in minuets. Serenity steered Skywalker away, and towards another ship. The dragons reloaded the ballistas. When the next ship was in range they fired and again hit the ship, sinking it as well. Serenity flew the ship out of harms way again. A third ship was firing at Skywalker, but it was flying too high and the haul was too tough.

"What should we do with this one?" asked Tenor. "Viggo and Ryker are on it."

"I haven't decided yet," Aurora said. "We'll just stay out of their range for now, maybe run them out of ammo. We'll circle above them, keep them distracted." Serenity steered the ship in circles as she watched the riders.

They weren't having as much luck in getting passed their own defenses. Hiccup was forcing his brain to work overtime. He had to come up with a plan, and fast, of everyone's sake. He looked around at his fellow riders and then at the circling airship. He then looked at Astrid's ballista and the Edge's catapults. They had very little weapons on the Edge, which Hiccup knew would work to their advantage. He just had to get passed them. Then an idea came up to him.

"Guys I have an idea," he announced. "We can use that airship as a distraction." He steered Toothless over to Skywalker. He ran his idea though them. They agreed to his idea. Hiccup returned to the other riders and ran his plan through them as well. They were all for it, including Mala. The squadron readied to play it out. Hiccup positioned Toothless in front the big ballista. Serenity brought the airship around and headed for the outpost. She brought it as low as she dared, and aimed it at Astrid's house. Catapults were fired at it, but they made no dent. They shot over the ballista and the wind from the wings knocked the hunters off balance. Hiccup made his move at the same time. Toothless shot towards the ballista at top speed. Then when Skywalker passed he fishtailed in the air, and Mala jumped off his back at the stunned hunters. She managed to knock them out in seconds, and all the remaining hunters ran off when they saw they didn't stand a chance now.

"Let them go, we need to get to the Eruptadon," said Hiccup. He lead the way towards the snowcapped mountain. Smoke was leaking out of the mountain's peak, followed by a faint orange glow. They closer they got, the more they could hear a strong rumbling.

They soon found the Eruptadon. He was a very big, bulky dragon. His scales resembled freshly dried lava. His lava colored eyes were very small. He roared loudly, sounding very much like an erupting volcano, and was burrowing desperately into the mountain's side. He didn't even look up when the riders landed around him and Hiccup dismounted. Skywalker hovered overhead. Hiccup approached the Eruptadon trying to calm him. But the dragon turned and roared angrily at him. Hiccup backed up.

"He's in a feeding frenzy," said Mala. "Nothing will stop him."

"Oh, Hiccup it's going to erupt," Fishlegs cried franticly, hovering overhead on Meatlug.

"We can't lose the edge," said Astrid, flying over them on Stormfly. The mountain rumbled again, it seemed to be about to burst.

"I'm more worried about all the other dragons on this island," said Hiccup said. "If that volcano blows, what will happen to them?"

"I now understand Hiccup," Mala said. "You're not an enemy to dragons. The good of the many outnumber the good of the few, but with all this knowledge you have what good will it do for one starving dragon." She looked like she was about to cry.

"What did she say?" Serenity asked, looking over the airship's railing.

"I think she means if they can't stop this Eruptadon from setting off the volcano, they may have to kill him to save the other dragons on this island," Tenor said. Hiccup considered. He then glanced up at Meatlug, and another idea came to him.

"I have another idea," Hiccup said. "We won't kill your dragon Mala. Hey Meatlug!" Fishlegs suddenly lit up, catching onto Hiccup's idea.

"Of course," he said. "Come on Meatlug, spew that lava." Meatlug opened her mouth excitedly, but no lava came out. She looked worried.

"Oh, no," said Fishlegs. "She must have used it all on the hunters." But then Meatlug remember that she wasn't the only Gronkle on the Edge. She let out a call, that reached the ears of her fellows.

In no time, a heard of Gronkles came flying towards them. They hovered in a circle around Meatlug. She beamed at them.

"Come friends," she said. "This Lava Eater is hungry, what do you say we give him a snack." The Gronkles all roared happily. They didn't hesitate and spat lava at the ground near the Eruptadon. The bigger dragon paused, and spotted the lava. He seemed relieved and began lapping it up. Every breathed a sigh of relief. The mountain did not explode. The Eruptadon calmed down.

"I think it's about time this one was returned to his own volcano," said Aurora.

"I couldn't agree with you more Queen Aurora," Mala said. Serenity threw down the rope ladder. The riders flew their dragons up onto Skywalker's deck, and Mala climbed the ladder. When everyone is onboard, Serenity pulled the ladder back up and took the helm. She pumped more Zippleback gas into the flames. More heat shot into the balloon and the ship lifted away from the mountain. Serenity lowered all the sails and steered the ship over the island and over the ocean. She carried it up higher as Dragon's Edge vanished over the horizon. The Gronkles flew on either side of the Eruptadon like pilot fish, feeding him lava every few minuets. They were all happy as they headed back to the Defenders of the Wing.

The riders talked quietly among themselves. The dragons rested their wings after all that flying. The other Draconian dragons had gone back down below. Hiccup had that thought it was a clever move to have them below and not show how many were on the ship, it seemed more intimidating. He told Aurora this. She smiled.

"These hunters are human," she said. "And do defeat humans, we must think like humans and then some. Before now, we would never have built this ship. But Viggo is proving hard to defeat, we will do what we must."

Mala glanced up at the driving deck where Serenity was focusing on keeping the ship on course. Tenor was asleep by her chair. Mala went up the stairs to the deck.

"You are Serenity," she said, sounding as friendly as she could.

"I am," Serenity said. "You are Mala?"

"Yes," Mala said. "The riders have told me a lot about you. You're a dragon healer." Serenity nodded.

"My bag is over there," she said, pointed to her medial bag which was next to the mast that held the half moon sail. "I refuse to fight, I refuse to learn to fight. Healing saves more lives then fighting does."

"I heal dragons as well," Mala said. "I also look after our Great Protecter when ever he's sick or injured."

"Is that what you call him?" Serenity asked. "Very fitting." Mala smiled.

"You can also speak to dragons," she said.

"It's my first language," Serenity said. "I have three great talents, well four now: Healing, riding, speaking to dragons, and now flying this ship."

"Those are good talents to have," Mala said. "I would be interested in seeing your methods."

"Certainly," Serenity said. "Whenever I am not helping the riders with their dragons, I can help you with your Eruptadon. I imagine I'll be flying this ship quite a lot, I'm sure Re will allow my to use it for personal things."

"We would appreciate that," Mala said. Suddenly Aurora shouted from the main deck.

"Serenity, take us down we're here," she said. Serenity used the helm to tilt the wings down and the ship headed for the island below.

The Eruptadon flew eagerly back into his volcano, the Gronkles went back Dark Deep, and everyone on the airship reunited with their own. Serenity made the ship hover over the main plaza, then climbed down the ladder. She stretched her stiff muscles. She was happy to be on the ground again after hours of flying the ship. She stayed by the ladder and listened to the conversation.

"How did you stop the lava flow?" asked Hiccup.

"I used what I learned from my studies," Re said. "I instructed these guys to chop down a few trees and use them to channel the lava towards a crevasse. But then the Twins did something stupid and dropped a block of ice on top of the trees, cutting a gap in them. The lava was again headed for the village. We put boulders in front of it, to no avail. We thought the lava would win this time. But then Barf and Belch knocked over the Eruptadon statue and it landed right in the lava's path, blocking it." Hiccup shot a glare at the Twins. "Anyway that what happened with us. What did you guys think of my airship?"

"It's very impressive," Hiccup said. "And it certainly came in handy, in rescuing the Eruptadon."

"That's why we built it," said Re.

"And I'm sorry I lost your gold," Hiccup said.

"It's not just me you should be apologizing to," Re said. "I was giving that gold to Berk, so they could stay well fed, in exchange for parts for the airship. But now because Viggo has it, life will be a little bit harder for them."

"We can get that gold back I swear," Hiccup said.

"You better, because I'm not going to give Berk all of Draconia's gold," Re said. "Berk should be able to stand on it's own feet, without us having to hand feed them." He went over to stand beside Aurora.

Serenity stood there quietly. She hoped they'd be on their way soon, she wanted to ride dragons again. She glanced up at Skywalker, overing over the buildings. She then looked around at the Defrenders of the Wing, as they all gathered around their queen and the riders. Serenity thought they looked very much like black chess pieces.

Just then Windshear came up beside her.

"Are you okay after all that?" she asked.

"Yes," Serenity said. "All I had to do was fly the ship."

"What do you think of these ninja folk?" Windshear asked.

"They're very interesting," Serenity said. "They look like black chess pieces." Windshear tilted her head in thought.

"Hmm, I can I kind of see that," she said. "Mala's the queen piece."

"That Eruptadon would be the king piece," said Serenity.

"And Throck would probably be the rook piece," said Windshear. Serenity glanced over at Throck, who caught her looking. She smiled at him and he seemed to blush. Windshear noticed but didn't say anything, because Mala spoke at that time.

"Today is a good day for us," she said, speaking loudly. "The Great Protecter has been returned, our village is safe once more, and we have new allies in the fight against the dragon hunters; Hiccup and the dragon riders." Hiccup waved bashfully at the crowd.

"I guess they would be the knight pieces," said Serenity.

"Still missing a bishop though," said Windshear. Mala spoke again.

"I have also chosen a new king," she said. "One that I'm sure will be worthy and serve you well, his name is Snotlout." Serenity exchanged a glance with Windshear.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"I think the queen piece has a crush on Snotlout," said Windshear. "Due to him accidentally blocking that arrow. What are the odds of that?"

"Someone has a crush on Snotlout," Serenity laughed. "Never thought I'd say that in a sentence. Well I'm glad I have Re for a king."

"Here, here," Windshear agreed.

The riders and defenders congratulated each other. Serenity stayed where she was, by the rope ladder. The dragons came over to her on occasion, and she petted them. Then Throck came up to her, as she was scratching Toothless behind his ears.

"What is your name?" Throck asked.

"Serenity, what's yours?" Serenity said, cautiously.

"I am Throck," Throck said. "You are the one who can speak to dragons."

"Yes I am," said Serenity. "I'm the only human who can."

"That is quite a skill to have," Throck said.

"Dragons are not that hard to figure out," Serenity said, looking down at Toothless. "You don't necessarily need to speak their language to know what they want." Toothless purred in agreement. Just then Hiccup called Toothless over. Re looked over at Serenity.

"Come on Serenity, it's time to head back," he said. Serenity turned back to Throck.

"I guess I should go," she said.

"I hope to see you again," Throck said.

"Count on it," Serenity said. "If Viggo doesn't kill us all first." She climbed the rope ladder back onto the ship, and pulled the ladder up. She went to her post and got the ship moving again. She steered it away from the island, and followed the dragons. She lowered all the sails and the ship sped after them. The Defenders of the Wing waved at them as they headed home.


	2. Gruff Aournd the Edges

Gruff Around the Edges

The riders were woken up early one morning, by the Twins talking very loudly into the Thunder Ear. Their voices rang all over the outpost, even reaching as far as the airship, hovering over the stables. Serenity's yurt had been destroyed by the hunters during their raid with the Eruptadon. The Draconians suspected that the hunters were hoping to capture her again and deliver her to Viggo. So now she slept in the airship, the old captain's quarters had been turned into a bedroom for her. Tenor stayed with her, keeping her company. Re and Aurora were on Berk helping them find food, since they were still lacking the gold needed for more foreign goods. Re refused to give anymore gold to them since he didn't want Draconia to be used a crutch.

Serenity and the riders came outside, looking sleepy and irritated. They looked at the Twins, who were still shouting into the Thunder Ear. While the riders shouted in irritation at the Twins, Serenity went into the stables. She found the dragons waking up as well, also irritated.

"Those Twins really love to make a nuisance of themselves," Hookfang hissed.

"Yeah sometimes it's funny, but some times it's annoying," said Belch. Both Zippleback heads yawned. They then turned to Serenity.

"You were woken up too?" Stormfly asked.

"Yeah, but I was about to wake up anyway," Serenity said. "I'm a bit of an early bird these days." She looked a bit sad. "How are you guys?"

"Bit irritated," said Meatlug. "But okay otherwise. Where's Tenor?"

"He's hopefully coming back from hunting, and the other Draconian dragons just went out," Serenity said. "I miss flying on a dragon."

"I don't blame you," said Windshear. "I mean Viggo's taken so much of Re and Aurora's time, that they don't have time for you anymore." Serenity sighed.

"Well, Re built Skywalker so we could all stay together," she said. "They'll come back once Berk has sorted out their gold crisis." The dragons murmured.

"I guess that makes sense," said Stormfly. The dragons exited their stalls and stretched their wings.

"You guys really don't mind being put in stalls like horses?" Serenity asked.

"It's not so bad," said Hookfang. "They don't lock us in here, plus it's nice and cozy."

"It's no different then how a family of dragons share a cave in the wild," said Meatlug. She nudged Serenity's arm and Serenity petter he snout.

"We'll keep you company until Tenor gets back," said Windshear. "I don't think our riders are going anywhere for a while." Serenity smiled.

"You guys are the best," she said.

They left the stables and wandered about the outpost. Toothless stayed with Hiccup for the moment. They all overheard the latest news from the riders. Apparently the Twins cousin was coming to Dragon's Edge and Tuffnut was overly excited about it, Ruffnut was far less enthusiastic. Serenity and the dragons watched Tuffnut go insane, cleaning up the clubhouse. The other riders were weirded out.

"Who is this cousin?" Hookfang asked.

"From what we've heard his name is Gruffnut," Barf said. "He's a god in Tuff's eyes. This should get amusing." Belch looked at Serenity.

"You should get that airship out of their reach," he said.

"We'll join you," said Stormfly. "Looks like we won't be needed for a while."

"Kind of nice to have a day off," said Hookfang. They headed back towards the stables and the airship.

Serenity climbed up the ladder to the deck, then pulled it up. The dragons joined her on the deck. She sat in her driving chair and the dragons laid down around her.

"Perhaps we can all go for a ride," said Meatlug, glancing up at the big balloon above them. "Just around the island." Serenity considered.

"As long as we don't leave the island," she said. "Re doesn't want me taking this ship over seas." She took hold of the helm. She pulled the chain, making the bellow blow Zippleback gas into the fire. Hot air filled the balloon and the ship lifted up. Serenity then opened all the sails and the ship took off. Serenity steered it over the outpost. The dragons all looked over the railing.

"How fast does this thing go?" asked Hookfang.

"Re says it goes at the speed of a Deadly Nadder," Serenity said. Stormfly squawked with pleasure.

"We are pretty fast," she said. "Of course we can't come close to the super sonic speeds of a Night Fury, but we are pretty fast." Serenity steered the ship towards the snowcapped mountain. They looked down at it as the ship sailed passed the tallest peak.

"Do you think it will erupt?" Windshear asked.

"The Eruptadon got it riled up, so it might," Hookfang said.

"I had no idea that was a volcano, to be honest," Serenity said.

"We didn't either," said Stormfly. "But Fishlegs and Meatlug found out that it was a volcano. So now we all know."

"You think the Night Terrors know what it is?" asked Belch.

"They've lived here a very long time, I'm sure they do," said Stormfly. Serenity steered the ship around the tallest peak. Then she steered it back towards the outpost.

When they got back, Serenity parked the ship over the stables and folded in all the sails. Below they could see a small rowboat heading for the outpost's small harbor.

"I guess that's Gruffnut," said Barf. They watched Gruffnut tie his boat to the pier and make his way up to the clubhouse. Toothless was dozing off on the porch. Serenity and all the other dragons could hear the riders talking in the clubhouse. Tuffnut was beside himself with excitement. He led Gruffnut out of the clubhouse and began showing him around the base. The other riders went to their respective huts.

The first thing they went to was the stables. Gruffnut looked impressed, glancing at the building.

"That must be where you keep the dragons," he said. "I bet that's well guarded."

"Not really," said Tuffnut. "Who's going to steel a dragon, I mean unless you can fly one you're not getting very far."

"Good point, didn't think of that," said Gruffnut. Then he spotted Skywalker. "Whoa is that a flying ship?".

"Yeah, I help command it in battle," Tuffnut bragged. "The dragon healer, Serenity, drives it. I call it Skywalker."

"That is so cool," said Gruffnut. "Can we get onboard?"

"There should be a ladder around here somewhere," said Tuffnut. They looked around the stables for the rope ladder, but couldn't find it. Hookfang looked at Serenity.

"You going to lower the ladder for them?" he asked.

"I'm not in the mood for another human male to be leering at me," Serenity said. "I've had, Viggo, Ryker, and a few other dragon hunters looking at me with creepy expressions." The dragons exchanged a glance.

"We won't let him do anything to you," said Belch.

"Yeah, we'll throw him over if we sense anything," said Barf. Serenity sighed and threw down the ladder. Tuff and Gruff climbed up onto the deck. Serenity sat back in her chair. The dragons sat beside her, and they watched the two humans wander about the deck. They looked at the weapons, the furnace, and the big balloon.

"This is a very serious vessel," said Gruffnut. "How fast does it go?"

"As fast as a Nadder they say," said Tuffnut. "Let's go look at the rest of the base. We can go for a ride later."

"Awesome idea," said Gruffnut. They climbed back down the rope ladder. When they were aback on the ground, Serenity quickly pulled the ladder back up. She sighed with relief and leaned against the railing. The dragons watched Tuff and Gruff wander about the base. Suddenly Toothless jumped onto the deck, and startled Serenity. She jumped and shrieked.

"Oh, sorry Serenity," Toothless said. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm okay," Serenity said. She sat back down.

"What are you guys up to?" Toothless asked.

"Nothing," said Hookfang. "Just watching those two wander the place." Toothless looked at Serenity.

"No sign of Tenor?" he asked. Serenity shook her head.

"He must be on an extended hunting trip," she said. "Wouldn't be the first time he had to travel many miles for food. He'll come back, he always does."

"Meanwhile, we're keeping her company until he does," said Stormfly. Toothless beamed. They went back to watching Tuffnut show his cousin around.

They went to the arena, then to Hiccup's hut. After they finished exploring, with Hiccup watching from a distance, they went back to the clubhouse. The dragons and Serenity lost interest for the moment. Serenity left her chair and went down the steps to the main deck. Windshear looked around at the ship.

"You I really admire our king," she said. "He's so clever. He takes an old dragon hunting ship, and makes it fly using dragon technology. I'm surprised either Hiccup or Viggo didn't consider it."

"That's why Re's a king and Aurora's queen, they're smarter than any human leader," said Stormfly.

"You do a very good job of flying it Serenity," said Meatlug.

"Thanks," said Serenity. "Flying this ship makes me feel like I've actually accomplished something, and helps me feel more important."

"That's good," said Hookfang.

"You're always important to us Serenity," said Belch. "You make us feel better." Serenity smiled, leaning on the railing.

"Have you seen the lower decks of this ship?" she asked.

"I would imagine it looks just like the hunting ships we've been held captive on," said Stormfly.

"It's similar," said Serenity. "But there are no cages. Just ammo for the weapons and some of my medical supplies." She led the way to the hatch and they went down.

On the deck below they say spears for the ballistas, barrels, and boulders stacked against the wall, there were also large metal containers with tubes coming out of the tops. The tubes vanished into the ceiling and no doubt fed the large furnace. Light came from glowing crystals on the walls. They went into the next room and found medical equipment perfect for healing dragons. The cages had been turned into stalls filled with medicine bottles, water, bandages, and other items. They moved onto another, much smaller deck that was clearly an operating room, with tables full of tools. At last they reached the captains quarters.

"This is my room," Serenity said. She opened the door and they looked inside. There was a twin bed on the left hand side, and a night stand beside it. A small trunk sat on the opposite side, with a dragon horn hat rack next to it. There were more glowing crystals on the wall and on the ceiling. A large beam hung over the room.

"Looks cozy," said Meatlug.

"It gets pretty warm at night," said Serenity. She closed the door and they headed back to the hatch.

"What's in those barrels?" asked Hookfang, as they walked through the weaponry.

"Monstrous Nightmare gel," said Serenity. "And the larger ones are full of Zippleback gas."

"For the fire?" asked Windshear.

"Among other uses," Serenity said. She climbed up the ladder to the main deck and the dragons flew up.

When they got to the top they heard Ruffnut down bellow calling for Barf and Belch. They all looked over the railing to see the Twins and Gruffnut standing bellow on the runway.

"Hey, we're going to take cousin Gruffnut for a ride," said Ruffnut, sounding thrilled. Barf and Belch exchanged a look.

"Lets go, this should be interesting," said Barf. They flew down to their riders. They got on, Gruffnut got Belch behind Tuffnut, and they took off.

They flew over the island and coast. Gruffnut was both excited and nervous. He watched the Twins steering the dragon.

"This is totally fun," he said. "Flying doesn't seem that hard, I mean you just lean one way or the other."

"Yeah that's basically it," said Tuffnut. Suddenly Ruffnut took hold of the reins and urged the dragon to go faster. She took everyone for a wild ride. They spun, twisted, and flipped at high speed. She then steered them towards the trees and flew the dragon lower. The other dragons were watching excitedly from Skywalker's deck.

When the Zippleback landed back at the arena, a few minuets later, Gruffnut was completely stunned. Ruff and Tuff dismounted, but he stayed rooted to the saddle. Ruffnut gave an evil chuckle. But then Gruffnut grabbed Belch's horns and turned the Zippleback around.

"Thanks for the dragon," he said. He made Barf and Belch take off, but didn't get very far. The dragon wasn't used to having so much weight on one side, and crashed. Ruffnut laughed and sneered down at Gruffnut.

"Did you just try to steel our dragon?" she laughed.

"Of course I didn't," said Gruffnut, a bit uncomfortably.

"Sure you did," said Ruffnut. "You said, 'thanks for the dragon', and then took off." Gruffnut got to his feet.

"I was making a joke," he said. "Can't you tell when someone's making a joke." Barf and Belch exchanged a glance.

"This one's up to something," Belch said. "Should we warn the other dragons?"

"They've got instincts," said Barf. "But we should tell them to be on guard." Ruffnut seemed to agree with them.

"Let's keep an eye on cousin Gruffnut," she said. Both Zippleback heads nodded in agreement.

Up on the ship the other dragons turned away from the railing. Toothless yawned and stretched his wings.

"Well guys, I'm going to take a nap," he said. "I'll see you all later." He glided off the deck and headed for Hiccup's hut.

"That actually sounds like a good idea," said Stormfly. They all murmured in agreement.

"I'll stay up here for a while, until Tenor returns," said Windshear. They dragons spread their wings and glided into the stables bellow. Serenity went to the covered area bellow the driving deck, were nets and bolas were stored. She sat on a bench and Windshear laid beside her.

Toothless was sound asleep on his stone, in Hiccup's bedroom. His sensitive ears picked up every little sound. He suddenly heard someone enter the hut but figured it out be Hiccup. He paid it no mind and went back to listening to the sounds outside. He could hear the wind whistling over Skywalker's balloon. He hoped Serenity would be okay without Tenor, and made plans to check on her later.

Suddenly he heard the door open again and heard two people enter.

"Um, excuse me," said Hiccup, from bellow. Confused, Toothless opened his eyes and saw Gruffnut sneaking towards him. He jumped to his feet and growled. He stalked Gruffnut towards the wall, pulling out his teeth. Gruffnut looked pretty terrified. Toothless was about ready to pounce when Hiccup and Ruffnut came up the stairs.

"Back off Toothless," Hiccup said. Toothless still held his stance, but didn't move or stop growling.

"What are you doing in here?" Ruffnut asked Gruffnut.

"I, I was just looking at this magnificent tail device," Gruffnut lied. He gestured to Toothless's red tail fin. "Magnificent workmanship know I'm a bid of an inventor myself." Toothless whipped his tail out of side.

"Yeah right," Ruffnut scoffed. Toothless sat on his haunches, wishing he wasn't caught in the middle of all this. He zoned out from the conversation until Tuffnut came in and Gruffnut left with him. Ruffnut left as well. Hiccup and Toothless exchanged a glance.

Up on Skywalker's deck Serenity and Windshear watched the sun go down. The glow from the setting sun turned Windshear's silver scales into rose gold.

"That friend you lost, Chris, what do you think his roll would be on this ship?" Windshear asked. "If he were here." Serenity considered.

"Re would probably have him commanding it," she said. "Either that or he would help me drive it." She fiddled with her dragon scale locket. "I really wish he were here, I miss him."

"I know you do," Windshear said. "No one likes loosing their friends. Do you think you'll ever find another human male to love?"

"I highly doubt it," said Serenity.

"What about that Throck fellow?" asked Windshear. "He seems really friendly."

"He does," Serenity agreed. "And he didn't scare me. But I hardly know him and he hardly knows me."

"That may change though," said Windshear. "I imagine you'll be seeing a lot of him in the future."

"Yeah," said Serenity. Just then they heard Heather calling for Windshear. The sun had gone down all the way by now.

"I should head home," Windshear said. "We'll come tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," said Serenity. "I should get to bed as well. I hope Tenor comes back tomorrow." They both got to their feet. Windshear took off to look for Heather, and Serenity went bellow to her room.

The next morning the Twins woke everyone up again by shouting into the Thunder Ear. Serenity ignored it and rolled over. She must have fallen asleep again because she felt a scaly muzzle on her arm a few minuets later. She woke up and saw Tenor standing next to her bed. She beamed and sat up.

"Tenor, I'm glad you're back," she said, hugging him. Tenor purred.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I am," said Serenity.

"Sorry I took so long," Tenor said. "There was so much fish, I had a hard time resisting my predatory instincts."

"That's okay," said Serenity. "Can we go flying now?"

"Sure," Tenor said. "I think you've been stuck on this ship for too long." Serenity jumped out of bed and put her clothes on. She then followed Tenor up to the main deck. When they were out in the open, Serenity mounted Tenor and they took off. Serenity was so happy to be back in the saddle. She let Tenor do whatever tricks he wanted. She sang him a few songs.

After a while they slowed down and circled the outpost and the airship. They watched the other riders and dragons bustle about. At that moment Heather and Windshear came up beside them.

"You go for an extended fishing trip Tenor?" Heather asked.

"Yeah," said Tenor. "It's a predator thing. What'd I miss?" Both Heather and Windshear explained about Gruffnut. Tenor laughed.

"And you say he looks just like Tuffnut?" he asked.

"Yeah, maybe a little older," said Heather.

"Interesting," Tenor said. "What do you think of him Serenity?"

"I don't," said Serenity. "He came onto the ship for a short time, but luckily he didn't break anything. I plan to keep the ladder up until he leaves."

"Does he scare you?" asked Heather.

"A bit," said Serenity. "I'm pretty tired of having human males leer at me."

"Did he leer at you?" Tenor asked.

"No, the dragons made sure of that," Serenity said. "They said they would throw him over if he did."

"Sound's very rational," Tenor said.

"Why don't we go back and get breakfast started for these guys," Heather suggested.

"Alright," said Serenity. "It'll keep me off the ship for a while." They both headed for the clubhouse.

"How are you liking the airship?" Tenor asked Windshear as their riders went inside.

"It's very inspiring," said Windshear. "And it's a comfortable place to socialize. It also seems to do very well in battle, according to Toothless."

"Indeed," said Tenor. "Hopefully Hiccup will make a plan to get Re's gold back so he can pay off his debt to Stoic."

"I'm sure he will soon," said Windshear. While their riders started cooking the two dragons joined the others on Skywalker's deck.

"When do you think we can see this ship in action again?" asked Hookfang.

"Soon," said Tenor. "You guys haven't seen everything this ship can do, and neither have the dragon hunters."

"Serenity showed us the lower decks," said Stormfly. "Very impressive. Re combined weapons and Serenity's healing trade."

"Re promised her she could use it as a flying hospital," Tenor said.

"But he won't allow her to go over seas with it," said Meatlug.

"Alone," Tenor said. "She can go when I'm here, or one of the other dragons. It's a safety precaution. Plus it doesn't seem right to have her flying this big ship all by herself." The dragons murmured in agreement.

Down in the clubhouse the riders were eating breakfast. Toothless was the only dragon present, and Tuffnut was the only viking not present. No one was really paying any mind. Serenity stood beside Toothless.

"You alright?" Toothless asked. Serenity nodded.

"I kind of want to be back out in the open," she said. "I miss Re and Aurora, and I miss home." Toothless purred and muzzled her hand. She petted him.

"If you did fly home, would you miss us?" he asked. Serenity smiled at him.

"Yeah I would," she said. "You guys are the main reason I say. I wish I was allowed to make more dragon friends."

"Hiccup should let you help with the next wild dragon we find," Toothless said. "It's only fair."

"Maybe I can find a new dragon species all on my own," Serenity said. "I've never had the privilege." Just then Tuffnut entered the clubhouse.

"Sad news everyone," he said. "Gruffnut had someplace really awesome he had to go to, and so now he's gone, for a while." Ruffnut laughed.

"Told you," she said. Tuffnut looked a touch uncomfortable.

"Yeah you did, told me what?" he asked. Everyone exchanged a glance.

"That Gruffnut would do what he always does," Ruff explained. "Wander into town, get you to worship him again, then disappear."

"Well, why wouldn't I worship him?" asked Tuff. "He's my hero."

"No he's not, he's a phony," said Ruffnut. Toothless crooned in suspicion.

"Something feels off about Tuffnut today," he said. "He smells different. You think something bad has happened?"

"I hope not," said Serenity. "I may not be super attached to the Twins, but even they don't deserve to be killed." She sighed and stroked Toothless's muzzle. "I'm going back outside."

"I'll go with you, I won't be needed for a while," Toothless said. Serenity left the clubhouse, and Toothless followed.

"You heading back to the ship?" he asked.

"No, not for a while," said Serenity. She went over to the other dragons. "What do you guys plan to do the rest of today?"

"Oh, bask in the sun for a few hours," said Hookfang, lazily. "Go find something munch on, you know normal dragon stuff." Serenity gave a small smile.

"You should join us my dear," said Belch. "You are one of us after all."

"You guys are so sweet," Serenity said. "But I am only one of you at heart, in body I am still human." Tenor approached her and nuzzled her cheek.

"Come one lovely, you never turn down a chance to participate in dragon culture," he said. Hookfang yawned and stretched his wings.

"Well I'm off for a doze," he said. "See you guys later." He crawled over to the stables. The other dragons headed off to do their own thing. Tenor looked back at his rider.

"Come walk with me," he said, gesturing towards his saddle. Serenity smiled and got onto his back. He turned and trotted away from the outpost.

"When will Re and the others come back?" Serenity asked. "I miss them."

"I do too," said Tenor. "We can go see them whenever we want, as long as we go together."

"Maybe with that air ship, we can travel between the Edge, the Defenders of the Wing, and Berk," Serenity suggested.

"That's a great idea," Tenor said. "I'm pretty sure Mala would like having you around."

"You think she'll find my lack of fighting skills a problem?" Serenity asked.

"I don't think so," Tenor said. "I think she'll be more interested in your skills with our kind. And if she doesn't accept that, then move on." Serenity patted his neck. Tenor then broke into a run and headed farther inland.

When they got back they went up onto Skywalker's deck. Serenity got off and sat in her flight chair. Tenor sat beside the chair and placed his head in Serenity's lap. She stroked him behind his ears. She watched the riders for a while. A few wild dragons flew by and she shouted hello to them. She spotted Tuffnut sneaking around the outpost. Thinking nothing of it, she watched the others.

"Will the rest of the crew be back soon?" she asked.

"When they've had their fill," said Tenor. "They're taking a small vacation before the battle." Serenity reached down her shirt and pulled out the gold Dragon Eye lens.

"You think I should get rid of this?" she asked. "It would a real shame if Viggo learned what was on it." Tenor considered.

"I think you should keep it for now," he said. "Either we get the Dragon Eye back, or until it's destroyed. You still have the blue prints for a new Dragon Eye?"

"Yes, it's safe in my night stand," said Serenity. "I can send it home at anytime."

"Good," said Tenor. "You should put the gold lens with it, so in case Viggo captures you again he'll get you but not the lens." Serenity smiled at the idea.

"It will be safe on board the ship," she said. She got off her chair and headed below decks. Tenor waited quietly for her. Just then the riders' dragons, minus Toothless, landed on the deck.

"Hello, what's new with you?" Tenor said casually.

"Tuffnut's been acting weird," said Hookfang.

"Yeah I know, have you met the Twins?" Tenor said, almost laughing.

"No, I mean weird for him," Hookfaing clarified. "Heck his pet chicken wes spooked when he tried to ride me, I had to scare him off." Tenor became more alert.

"Same thing happened to me," said Meatlug. "I was fed some good stones and he tried to ride me, but then Chicken tried to stop him and he acted like a jerk in response instead of trying to calm Chicken down like he usually does, I had to chase him off too."

"Hmmm, it would appear that this, chicken, knows something that we do not," Tenor said. "Very unusual, but I will agree that is weird. Did this happen to the rest of you?"

"No," said Stormfly. "But, I remember Gruffnut was trying to bribe me yesterday so he could ride me."

"And he tried to fly off with us before that," said Belch. "And he was caught sneaking up to Toothless acting suspicious

"Hookfang and Meatlug were the only two left he hadn't tried," said Stormfly.

"Gruffnut is impersonating Tuffnut," Tenor said. "That can be the only explanation for Tuff's unusual behavior this morning. But why is Gruff trying to steel one of you?"

"I remember him talking to Tuffnut yesterday," said Stormfly. "Gruffnut said he owes a lot of gold to very dangerous men, and needs one of us to pay them off."

"That is the most rotten thing I've ever heard," Tenor spat. "Good thing that chicken saw right though his scam."

"I'll say," said Hookfang.

"But if Gruffnut is impersonating Tuffnut," said Belch, getting worried. "Then where's Tuffnut."

"I'll search the island for him," Tenor volunteered. "Will one of you tell Serenity where I've gone when she comes back up?"

"Sure," said Hookfang. "And we'll keep her company."

"The rest of us will keep an eye on Gruffnut," said Stormfly. Tenor spread his wings and took off.

He flew along the cliffs, keeping his ears wide open. It didn't take long before his powerful hearing picked up the sound of loud banging and loud grunting. He followed his ears to a narrow cave in the sea cliffs. Tenor could see Tuffnut, dressed in Gruffnut's clothes, and tied up. He was talking to himself. Tenor glided down and landed in front of the trapped viking. Tuffnut beamed.

"Tenor, my scaly brother," he praised. "I know what this must look like, but I cant assure you that I am not Gruffnut despite the fact that I am wearing his close."

"I already know it's you Tuffnut," Tenor said, trying not to laugh. "We dragons already figured out what was going on."

"Hey, how are you with knots?" Tuffnut asked. Tenor didn't say anything, but whipped out his claws. He cut the ropes off Tuffnut with one swipe. Tuffnut looked very relieved and began dancing on the spot. Tenor waited patiently. Then Tuff got serious again.

"We need to get back before Gruffnut steals one of our dragons," he said. Tenor turned his saddle in his direction. Tuff jumped on Tenor's back and they took off.

Back at the arena, the riders were gathered with their dragons. The rest of the riders were still unaware of the wolf in sheep's clothing. The dragons acted like nothing was wrong. However Meatlug was suffering from a stomach ache, which irritated Fishlegs.

"Um, has some one been feeding Meatlug feltspart again," he snapped. "You know how it bloats her." Hiccup sighed, then turned to the other riders.

"Well we'll need someone to take over your patrol shift," he said. "Anyone want to volunteer?" Gruffnut shot his hand up in the air.

"We volunteer," he blurted out. Everyone stared.

"Who are you, and what have you done with the real Tuffnut?" asked Snotlout.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Gruffnut.

"No offense but you two don't volunteer, well ever," said Snotlout.

"You're right I don't," said Gruff. "But now that that Gruffnut jerk is gone, I figured Ruffnut and I should spend some alone time, right sis?"

"You had me at that Gruffnut jerk," said Ruffnut, picking up Tuffnut's mace. "You should take Macy." Gruffnut refused.

"Um, no thanks," he said. "Maybe you should cary Macy for a change." He turned around quickly and ran towards the Zippleback. The riders were still staring until the Twins were out of sight.

Hiccup went back to his hut with Toothless, to repair his walls. For the moment things were pretty quiet. Toothless watched, lending a wing whenever he could. They were just about done, when Tenor landed on the porch with seemingly Gruffnut on his back. Toothless snarled and Hiccup glared.

"You," he growled. "What are you doing back here?"

"I live here," said Tuffnut, dismounting.

"Oh, no you don't," said Hiccup. He was so focused on Tuffnut, that he didn't see Tenor sneak into the hut and grab something. "I don't know what you've conned Tuffnut into, but you won't get away with it Gruffnut."

"I'm not Gruffnut, I'm Tuffnut," said Tuff. "Tenor can vouch for me." He pointed at Tenor, who pretended like he hadn't moved.

"Is it true Tenor?" asked Hiccup.

"Yes," said Tenor. "You may have noticed Tuffnut acting weirder than normal this morning." Hiccup and Toothless relaxed. "I found him wearing Gruffnut's clothes and tied in a cave back there." He pointed in the direction they'd come from.

"Then if Tuffnut's here, that means Gruffnut is out on patrol with Ruffnut."

"Should I have Serenity fire up the airship?" Tenor asked.

"I don't think we'll need it," said Hiccup. "We need to find them and fast." He got on Toothless and they took off. Tenor handed Tuffnut the thing he'd grabbed out of Hiccup's hut.

"Here, put this on quickly," he said. Tuff examined the item.

"Whoa, you serious?" Tuff asked, when he realized what it was.

"Yes, now hurry," Tenor said. Tuffnut quickly put the item on then got back on Tenor's saddle. They took off after Hiccup and Toothless.

Miles ahead Barf and Belch were wobbling through the clouds. Gruffnut was still not used to flying a dragon. This made Ruffnut suspicious, and glared at him the whole time.

"Air's pretty rough up here isn't it," said Gruffnut. Ruffnutt said nothing, but glared harder. Suddenly Gruffnut spotted a ship down bellow. "Hey look a ship."

"It's not a ship I recognize," said Ruffnut. "What should we do?"

"I don't know, whatever you think," said Gruffnut.

"Whatever I think!?" Ruffnut exclaimed. She then steered the Zippleback high up into the clouds. When they were high enough, Ruffnut turned on Gruffnut.

"Okay, that's it," she said. "What are you trying to pull Gruffnut."

"Gruffnut?" said Gruff awkwardly.

"The real Tuffnut never cares what I think," said Ruffnut. "And while I'm at it, Tuffnut would never volunteer us for this mission, and he would never, ever let me carry Macy." Gruff sneered.

"Well, I always said you were the smartest twin," he said.

"Flattery has no effect on me, mainly because I never hear any," said Ruff. "So cut the sheep dip and tell me who's on that boat down there."

"You wouldn't understand," growled Gruffnut.

"It's people you owe money to right?" said Ruffnut, loudly. "You want to trade them Barf and Belch to pay off your stupid dept."

"Seriously you are the smarter twin," said Gruffnut.

"Not going to happen," shouted Ruffnut.

"Don't make me do this the hard way Ruffnut," said Gruffnut.

"I do everything the hard way," said Ruffnut. Gruff took a firm grip on Belch's horns and tried to take control.

"Down dragon," he ordered.

"No you don't," grunted Ruffnut. They both struggled to gain control, as the Zipplback headed for the ship.

"You're not good enough for the Nut name," shouted Ruffnut. Hiccup and Tuffnut found them at that point.

"There they are," said Hiccup.

"It's all my fault," said Tuffnut. "For not listening to Ruffnut. I have to make it up to her. It's time for the ballista nut." He stoop up on Tenor's saddle, then jumped off.

"Tuff, No?" Hiccup shouted.

"Relax," Tenor said. "I gave him a little something to help with his revenge." They watched as Guffnut fought Ruffnut. Tuffnut shot passed them, missing his target.

"No!" cried Ruffnut.

"Be honest, that was hilarious," said Gruffnut. But then suddenly Tuffnut rammed him from behind, wearing Hiccup's flight suit.

"To be honest, that was painful," Tuffnut said. Hiccup looked at Tenor.

"You lent him my flight suit?" he asked.

"You got to admit, it made an excellent surprise attack," said Tenor, his voice full of adrenaline. Gruff and Tuff started throwing punches. Tuff used the flight suit to his advantage. Gruffnut got frustrated.

"Give me that," he barked. Tuffnut blocked him, but eventually Gruffnut got the flight suit off him. He threw it overboard.

"No!" Tuffnut roared. Tenor dived and snatched the flight suit before it hit the water, then flew back up to Toothless.

"Hey come on guys work with me here," said Ruffnut, as the Zippleback got closer to the ship. Shouts came from the deck and they started firing. They shot a chain bola at Barf and Belch. Toothless blasted it away.

"We can't risk hitting Tuffnut," said Hiccup.

"Man I hate sitting back and just watching," Tenor said, angrily. Gruff and Tuff continued to fight.

"I used to look up to," said Tuffnut in between kicks. Gruff kicked and punched back. He managed to get the upper hand and knocked Tuffnut off his feet.

"Let me give you another chance," Gruff sneered. He went for the final hit when Ruffnut shined the sunlight off the mace, right into Gruffnut's eyes. Tuffnut got back up and they fought again. Gruffnut knocked Tuffunt onto Belch's wing, and he was in danger of falling overboard. Ruffnut saw this and tilted the Zippleback so Tuff could crawl back over. Gruffnut planted his foot on his chest and chuckled.

"Ruffnut, Macy me," Tuff called. Ruffnut tossed him the mace and Tuffnut caught it. He placed it between him and Gruffnut, just as Gruff brought his fist down. He his the mace instead of Tuffnut, and it hurt quite a bit. Tuffnut slammed the mace into Gruff's gut, knocking him off the dragon, and towards the ship bellow. Tuffnut took his seat on Belch's saddle.

"Thanks sis," he said.

"You got it bro," said Ruffnut, relieved. They watched as the hunters started cornering Gruffnut. They were about to capture him when the Twins swooped down and plucked him off the deck. They rejoined the two black dragons and headed back to the Edge. Tenor handed Hiccup his flight suit. He took it, not saying anything.

They returned to Dragon's Edge and Tenor landed on Skywalker's deck. Serenity was waiting for him. She smiled and hopped off her chair.

"You okay?" she asked, stroking his snout.

"Yeah," Tenor said. "I didn't get to do much." Serenity hugged him. She let him go and they watched the Twins fly by, on their way to taking Gruffnut to Dark Deep.


	3. Midnight Scrum

Midnight Scrum

Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons were gathering apples for a big celebration on Berk. Tenor and Serenity were there as well, and they'd brought Skywalker to help with getting the apples to Berk. Tenor helped gather apples and Serenity stayed at her post, keeping the ship in the air. Hiccup wondered off to look for berries. Tenor picked up a bucket filled with apples and flew it onto the airship. He set it down and looked up at his rider.

"You think you'll wear a dress for this event?" he asked. "Nothing too fancy of course." Serenity considered.

"I suppose," she said. "I still have my white feathered one."

"That'll work," Tenor said. "We should also decorate the ship." Serenity cocked her head to the side. Tenor smiled. "Come on, it'll be fun. You humans love to decorate things."

"Alright," she said. Tenor beamed and back flipped off the deck. They continued collecting apples, not saying much. Suddenly they heard Hiccup calling for Toothless. The Night Fury dropped his bucket of apples and growled. Hiccup came running over a hill towards them, on his heals were half a dozen vikings with axes. They were about to catch up to Hiccup and grab him. Thinking fast, Toothless shot plasma blasts at the vikings and they scattered. Hiccup stopped and was able to catch his breath. Astrid ran up to him.

"Who were they?" she asked. "They didn't look like hunters." Hiccup took a minuet before answering.

"I don't know," he said. "With all the flying axes and stumbling down hills, I forgot to ask." He then spotted Toothless looking at something. They went over to see what he was looking at, Tenor followed still holding a bucket of apples. They reached Toothless, who was looking worried. Hiccup looked at the paper he'd been looking at and got a chill up his spine.

"I think I know who those guys were now," said Astrid. Hiccup picked the paper. Tenor could see it now, and dropped his bucket in shock. The paper was a wanted poster with Hiccup's picture on it.

They finished gathering the apples and quickly took off. Serenity steered the airship after them. She didn't bother to ask any questions, she figured she'd be ignored. They headed back to the Edge. Hiccup had the poster in his saddlebags.

When they got back to the Edge the sight of the wanted poster made Snotlout disturbingly excited. Everyone else was horrified.

"I wonder if Viggo's paying this bounty with Berk's gold," said Fishlegs.

"That much irony should be illegal," said Tuffnut.

"Maybe he's not paying it at all," said Tenor. "I would imagine Viggo doesn't want to give his gold to anyone."

"I hate to say it Hiccup, but it might be a good idea to lay low for a while," said Heather. "Until this cools off."

"No," said Hiccup. "That's playing right into Viggo's hands."

"Wait, you're not seriously thinking of going to the party," said Astrid.

"It's Berk's 400 year anniversary," said Hiccup. "Do you know what my dad would do to me if we missed it."

"And he's finally going to nail you for loosing all of Berk's gold," Snotlout laughed. "It's gonna be epic."

"We're not little kids anymore Snotlout," said Hiccup. "He's not going to 'nail' me."

"Um, Hiccup a public event with a lot of people would be a perfect opportunity for a bounty to slip in undetected," said Fishlegs.

"I appreciate your concern Fishlegs," said Hiccup. "But I'm not hiding from anyone, we're going to the party."

So when Skywalker was all decorated with different colored glowing crystals and a few ribbons, the riders got on their dragons and took off. Serenity followed them with the air ship. She had changed out of her riding uniform and no wore her white dress with white feathers around the neckline, she had also breaded white ribbons into her hair and wound the braids around the crown of her head, and added flowers. Her dragon scale locket rested comfortably on her breastbone. She still wore her boots however, since they were the only shoes she had. Tenor sat beside her and the rest of the ship's dragon crew were dozing off bellow decks.

They reached Berk the following morning. The riders landed in the plaza, and Serenity parked the ship over the staircase to the Great Hall. The vikings were hard at work putting up decorations for the festival. Re and Aurora were helping as well. They glanced up when Serenity came down the rope ladder. She got to the ground and hugged them.

"I missed you," she said.

"We missed you too," said Re. "You look so beautiful in that dress."

"Thanks," Serenity said. Both the king and queen were wearing their crowns and armor.

"The ship looks great, I love the decorations," said Aurora, looking up at Skywalker.

"Tenor's idea," said Serenity. Tenor flew down at that point and joined his comrades.

"Is there still much to do here?" he asked. "I could do with some hard work."

"Absolutely," said Aurora. "Lots to do still. Come I'll show you." The two of them flew off. Re and Serenity went over to Stoic and the riders.

"Hey Serenity, glad you came too," said Stoic. "You look lovely in that dress."

"Thank you," said Serenity, stroking Re's neck.

"Your ship looks ready for tonight," said Gobber.

"Indeed," said Re. "Now we just need to get your village looking the same." Serenity jumped onto his back and they all got too work.

When the sun went down, the lights came on. The celebrations started. The airship blended in perfectly with the rest of the villages. Things started off with a small parade. The Draconians watched it from Skywalker's deck, where they had a good view of everything. The crowds were munching on the apples the riders had brought, as well as the golden apples from Serenity's tree. After the small parade, the dragon riders did arial stunts. The crowd cheered and dragons roared happily. Near the end Hiccup spotted three vikings he didn't recognized, and they were whispering to each other. Mistaking them for bounty hunters he landed Toothless in front of them, but they turned out to be Silent Sven's uncles. So Hiccup took off again.

Astrid found him latter in the Great Hall, Toothless was not present. Astrid filled two mugs with water and brought them over to the table, handing one to Hiccup.

"Okay so living with a bounty on my head is more stressful then I thought," he said. "I don't know what to do."

"Tell Stoic," said Astrid. "He can help you."

"No, he has enough to deal with," said Hiccup. "I'll have to deal with this myself. I'm going to bed." He drained his mug and left. Concerned, Astrid drank her water then headed home.

The village quieted down after the festival and everyone went to bed, worn out. Serenity went to her bedroom in the ship. Tenor took off to go fishing, Re and Aurora took off for a romantic night flight. The rest of Skywalker's crew were asleep outside on the open deck. Serenity entered her room, the glowing crystal lighting it up. The room was a bit hot and stuffy. Serenity went to open the small window, but found it jammed shut. Sighing she got ready for bed, then put a metal cap over the glowing crystal putting out the light. She fell asleep in minuets. Everything fell silent.

A few hours latter the silence was broken by Stoic wandering the village calling for Hiccup. Toothless had woken up in the middle of the night and found his rider missing. He had alerted Stoic and now they were both looking for him. Astrid came running out and Stoic went up to her.

"Hiccup's gone, have you seen him?" he asked. Astrid sighed, and informed Stoic about Viggo's bounty. This enraged Stoic and ordered Astrid to round up the other riders. She ran off and Stoic glanced up at the quiet airship. He and Toothless climbed up onto the deck. Toothless woke up the crew and Stoic went bellow decks. He stomped up to Serenity's bed room door, and knocked on it so hard it banged open. Serenity screamed and scrambled to cover herself with her blanket.

"Serenity, Hiccup's been captured!" Stoic bellowed. "Get this ship fired up now!"

"O..o...ok," Serenity stammered. She jumped out of bed. She didn't have time to find her clothes, so she quickly tied the blanket into a toga, and followed Stoic up top. She went right to her flight chair and got the ship fired up. By now the rest of the riders and dragons were ready to go. Toothless rode on Skywalker with the Draconians and Stoic rode Scullcrusher. They immediately headed out. They followed Skullcrusher's nose in the direction the bounty hunters had gone. Serenity kept the ship close to the riders. She was shaking from slight shock, and she was a bit cold. A toga was the wrong garment for the North Sea. The dragon blood in her veins kept her from freezing, but she was cold enough to be shivering a bit. Toothless took over commanding the crew, since Tenor wasn't there. He glanced around at all the other dragons on the deck, worried sick about Hiccup. Serenity caught his eye and he went up to sit beside her. He then noticed the blanket.

"Where are your clothes?" he asked.

"I didn't have time to find them," said Serenity. "All I had was this blanket. I learned how to make a toga in Greece." Toothless gave her a small smile.

"Well I appreciate your quick response," he said. "As soon as we find Hiccup, you can go back down and put your clothes on." Serenity petted his head.

"You're welcome," she said. "Try not to worry about me." She turned back to driving the ship. Toothless remained by her chair.

The sun soon came up and all they could see was ocean. The sun warmed Serenity and she was no longer cold. She secured the toga around her and cheered up a bit. Stoic not so much.

"Why didn't Hiccup tell me about the bounty?" he muttered.

"He's Hiccup," said Astrid. "Sometimes his pride is bigger than his brain."

"Humans in a eggshell," said Viper, casually admiring her claws. Toothless cooned sadly. Serenity petted him.

"We'll find him," she said. "Skullcrusher says he can find anything, and dragons never lie." Toothless nibbled her shoulder.

"I just hope we find him before something bad happens," he said, resting his shin on Serenity's shoulder. She petted his muzzle.

"Don't you worry Night Fury," said Heddrod. "This ship is indestructible and armed to the teeth. Rescuing a human with it will be a piece of cod." Toothless sighed and tried to relax. Suddenly Stoic spotted a ship below.

"There that's it," he said. The riders landed on it's deck. Serenity pulled the ship to a stop, low enough so Toothless could jump down. They investigated the ship, but didn't find Hiccup. But they did find two bounty hunters climbing up the side of the boat. Stoic grabbed them and glared at them.

"Where's Hiccup?" he demanded.

"We don't where he is," said one hunter. "Savage took him." Stoic sneered at them, then threw them back overboard. The riders got back on their dragons, Toothless jumped back onto Skywalker and they took off. Serenity steered the ship after them. She yawned, feeling sleepy. Toothless turned to her.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm just tired," Serenity said. "I didn't get much sleep last night. My room was very hot and stuffy last night. The window's busted so I can't open it."

"Is that why you were sleeping with no clothes on?" Toothless asked. Serenity nodded.

"Though I was only sleeping for about an hour," she said. She yawned again. Toothless hummed, then he licked her face. His cold tongue woke her up and she was able to focus again. She smiled at him and stroked his muzzle again.

"Thanks," she said. "I'll try to stay awake so I don't crash this ship. Hiccup depends on it. Hey! I'm not shaking anymore."

"Good," said Toothless. "I was worried you were going to faint, Stoic gave you a big scare."

"Which is why I don't trust humans," said Serenity. "They always do stuff like that."

"I know," said Toothless. "But some of them don't." Serenity nodded in agreement. She focused on driving again.

Soon they spotted another ship below. It was an old Outcast ship, and it looked deserted. The dragons landed and the riders dismounted. Toothless jumped down from the airship. Serenity left her chair for the moment and went over to the railing. Bellow they found Alvin's old henchman Savage, and Throck from the Defender of the Wing. They were both winded. While Stoic and Toothless interrogated Savage, Snotlout helped Throck to his feet.

"Thank you dragon riders," he said, slightly out of breath.

"Where's Hiccup?" asked Stoic.

"He was taken by another bounty hunter," said Throck. "I tried to stop him, but he got the better of me."

"You let some random guy defeat you?" said Snotlout.

"He was very skilled," said Throck. Stoic turned back to Savage.

"Where are they going?" he demanded.

"To an island farther north," said Savage. "Ryker's waiting there with the gold." Stoic released him and stood up. Savage sat up gasping.

"It's his own fault he got captured, not mine," said Savage. Stoic snapped. He whirled around and was about to hack Savage to pieces with his ax. But Toothless planted himself over Savage. He looked Stoic in the eye with an expression that clearly said 'please don't.' Stoic lowered the ax, and backed away. Toothless walked up beside him.

"You're right," Stoic said, scratching Toothless on the chin. The riders got on their dragons and took off. Toothless jumped onto the airship. Serenity looked down at Throck.

"Can I give you a ride home Throck?" she called.

"I appreciate the offer ma'am," said Throck. "But I have a ship here that I can sail home."

"Okay if you're sure," said Serenity. She turned back to the helm. She steered the ship after the riders. They headed farther north, following Skullcrusher's nose.

Meanwhile the bounty hunter arrived at the meeting point with Ryker, dragging Hiccup behind him. Hiccup had had a very stressful day. He'd been passed from ship to ship like a bag of gold. He was certain his friends were on their way, and hopefully they were bringing the airship. Soon the found Ryker on the edge of a cliff. The bounty hunter approached him. Ryker turned to acknowledge them.

"I feel like I know you," he said. The hunter just glared and held out his hand.

"The gold," he barked, his voice slightly muffled by his hooded mask. Ryker sneered and held up a back.

"You've done well," he said. But then he dropped it and it opened. There was no gold, only a pile of rocks. The stranger glared.

"Viggo's not giving gold for this one legged fool," Ryker said. Hiccup rolled his eyes. He figured if he had a gold coin for every time some one made a comment about his leg, he could pay off Re's debt to Stoic, twice. The hunter tightened his grip on Hiccup's bonds.

"Then there will be no prize," he said. Ryker pulled out his sword, still sneering. Suddenly dragon hunters came running out of the bushes. They ambushed the bounty hunter, but he fought back. Unfortunately this forced him to let go of the rope attached to Hiccup. The allowed Hiccup to free himself and run off. He headed away from the fight, and began looking for something to help him.

"There's got to be something, a dragon or something," he said to himself. He entered a clearing. He found no dragon, but a flock of wild sheep. Hiccup sighed in disappointment. But then he pulled out Inferno, and used the flame to drive the sheep at the hunters. This distracted them and Hiccup ran away. But he was caught by the bounty hunter again. He defended himself with Inferno, but the bounty hunter got the better of him and pinned him to the ground.

"I'll take you to Viggo myself," the man hissed. Hiccup struggled to get free, and accidentally pulled off the man's mask.

"Wait I know you," Hiccup said, spying the small pin on the man's cloak. "You were at Viggo's dragon auction." He struggled harder. But the bounty hunter put up a good fight. They rolled towards the cliff, and almost went over. Hiccup managed to snag a small ledge, and the bounty hunter gripped his legs. Unable to handle the weight, Hiccup untied the rope that secured his metal leg. He then used his right leg to kick it off. The bounty hunter fell into the lake bellow, along with the leg. Hiccup suddenly felt his hand slipping. He tried to get a better grip, but to no effect. But just as he lost his grip, some one caught him. Hiccup had a small moment of relief however, when he realized that it was Ryker who had caught him. Ryker pulled him onto solid ground.

"I'd love to let you drop," Ryker said. "But Viggo wants you alive."

"That's very considerate," muttered Hiccup. Ryker turned to leave, dragging Hiccup with him. But suddenly the hunters were blinded by a plasma blast. They turned to see the dragon riders, and Skywalker heading in their direction. Toothless was perched on the ship's prow. The Draconians had all the ballistas ready, as well as a giant slingshot. Ryker glared, then punched Hiccup in the gut hard, knocking him out. He then ran off.

"Fire!" Toothless cried. The slingshot was fired, and Ryker was tripped by a bola. He fell and dropped Hiccup. Toothless jumped onto the ground and the riders landed their dragons. Toothless ran at Ryker, shooting off his shoulder pads. Ryker lost his balance and fell over again, still slightly tangled in the bola. Stoic grabbed him and lifted him high into the air.

"I want you to take a message to Viggo," said Stoic. "You put a bounty on one of us, you get all of us." Stoic then knocked him out and left him. Astrid jumped off Stormfly, and over to Hiccup.

"Hiccup, your leg," she said. "Are you okay."

"Yeah, I am," said Hiccup. "Let's just go home." Astrid helped him his feet, and let him lean on her. Serenity dropped the rope ladder and Hiccup climbed up onto the deck. Toothless joined him.

"Hey Serenity," said Hiccup.

"Hi," said Serenity. Toothless began prancing around the deck excitedly. The dragons took off and Serenity steered the ship after them. They left the island and headed back to Berk. Hiccup hobbled about the deck with Toothless's help. He was mentally kicking himself for not bringing one of his spare legs from the Edge. He leaned on the railing. He caught his dad looking at him.

"I don't think I've seen you that mad, and that's saying something," Hiccup said.

"No one messes with a Haddock without paying the price," said Stoic. "Now, about Berk's gold, it was my fault too. We both learned a lesson. Now..."

"I know what you're going to say," Hiccup interrupted. "I should have told you about the bounty, because I'm you're son."

"It's more than that," said Stoic. "We're allies. If we're going to work together, we can't be keeping secrets from each other. People rely on us. But that's a conversation for another time, I'm just glad to have you back." They picked up speed and headed towards Berk.

When they got there, Serenity pulled the ship to a stop over the plaza. She lowered the ladder and Hiccup climbed down. Toothless jumped down to join him. Serenity climbed the ladder as well. The riders landed next to them. Re, Aurora, and Tenor were waiting for them.

"What happened to you guys?" Tenor asked. "And why is Serenity naked?"

"Hiccup got captured by bounty hunters," said Stoic. "We had to get the ship moving as soon as possible, there was no time to find her clothes." Tenor went over to his rider and sniffed her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Serenity. "I'm a bit sleepy though." She yawned. Stoic approached them at that point. Serenity backed up, scared.

"It's okay Serenity, I'm sorry I scared you and woke you up," Stoic said. Serenity relaxed, and smiled.

"It's okay Stoic," she said. "I feel better now."

"You should go put some clothes on now," Tenor said. Serenity breathed a huge sigh of relief, and climbed back up the ladder onto the deck. She went bellow to finally get dressed.


	4. Not Lout

Not Lout

The riders were heading for an island where the rest of Berk was gathering to look at the new off site storage shed that Spitelout had built and filled. Skywalker followed the riders with all her crew on board. Serenity was happy to be out flying again, even if they were heading for something that most likely would not need the help of the airship. To her, the ship felt less like a prison when it was moving. She steered the ship after the riders, at full speed. There were no dragons on the open deck. They were all either down bellow, or flying around the ship.

Soon they reached the island and found the all of Berk there already, along with Re and Aurora. Everyone was talking absentmindedly. The riders landed and dismounted. Serenity pulled the ship to a stop over the storehouse. Re and Aurora flew up onto the deck. Serenity beamed and got off her chair.

"Hello your majesties," she said. Aurora nuzzled her shoulder.

"How've you been?" Re asked.

"I'm better now," Serenity said, hugging Aurora's neck. "It's good to get out after sitting in one place for so long."

"Well good," said Aurora.

"Is the rest of the crew down bellow?" Re asked.

"Yes they are," said Serenity. Re turned and headed for the lower decks. Stoic called for attention at that moment. Serenity mounted Aurora and they flew down to join the others. Spitelout burst out of the storehouse, waving at the noisy crowd. The dragons kept their distance so they didn't accidentally step on anyone's toes. Serenity stayed on Aurora's back. The riders, minus Snotlout, were talking amongst themselves. Spitelout was talking very loudly to Snotlout. Re landed beside Aurora.

"How's Berk doing without it's gold?" Serenity asked.

"Pretty well," Re said. "But Hiccup better get that gold back for all their sakes."

"Won't you give them more?" Serenity said. "They've done you guys a lot of great services." Re considered.

"Maybe," he said. "But we're not going anywhere 'til the hunters are defeated for good. Then we can get the gold back." Serenity dropped the matter. She watched Tenor indulging in the fish on the food table.

"You have plenty of gold to pay off your dept," Serenity said.

"That gold does not belong to just me," Re said. "It belongs to the whole country." Serenity scanned her mind for a change of subject.

"You going to come back to the Edge?" she asked.

"Sure," Aurora said. "For a little while." She felt Serenity slump in disappointment. "We have a job to do Serenity. But don't worry, this war will not last forever. If Hiccup will not end this, then we will. Too many dragons have died at the hands of Viggo." She growled at the thought. Just then they heard the vikings yelling at Tenor.

"Get away from there you devil," cried one man. They chased Tenor away from the food table. He pranced away and joined his comrades.

"Why do they call you devil?" Serenity asked. "Don't they know you find it racist?"

"Yeah, we probably should say something to Stoic," Aurora said to Re. The king nodded in agreement.

"My guess is they call us devil due to our fire breathing," Tenor said. "Horns, tail, and wings. I'm getting tired of it too. I guess there's still traction between humans and dragons."

"There will always traction," said Aurora. "Even within Berk. There's many dragons back home that still really hate humans."

"Do we really have to go into hiding someday?" asked Tenor. Aurora nodded.

"Dragons have ruled the Earth for millions of years," she said. "We've had our turn. The humans will never give in. If we don't go into hiding the cruel ones like Viggo, will drive us to extinction."

"You think these riders will come with us?" Re asked, glancing over at the riders.

"If they want to," said Aurora. "But they won't have to make that decision for a very long time." She stretched her blue wings and neck. "Let's go flying, all this talking is boring." She spread her wings and took off. The other two followed.

They circled the island while the vikings continued to admire the storehouse and congratulate Spitelout. The three dragons flew to the far side of the island and landed on a tall plateau with a lone pine tree on it, and plenty of grass. It was much quieter up there.

"Ahhhh, that's better," Aurora sighed. "I need peace and quiet every now and then." Serenity dismounted. She looked down at the clearing with the storehouse, Skywalker's balloon a tiny red dot amongst the green grass.

"I don't know about the rest of you," Tenor said. "But when this is over, I plan to head home and go swimming in the lake."

"That sounds like a plan," Re said. He laid down on the grass. The others joined him, Serenity leaned against Tenor's side.

"When we go into hiding you think you'll come with us Serenity?" Tenor asked. Serenity shrugged.

"I have no where else to go," she said. "Draconia's my only home."

"How are the other riders treating you?" Aurora asked. Serenity sighed sadly.

"I could be wrong," she said. "But I don't think they see me as a dragon rider. Heather and Hiccup are the nicest to me. But they still won't let me near the Triple Stryke. Hiccup says he wants his riders to learn how to handle wild dragons, without my help. Astrid got awful mad when I made friends with the Skrill and the Flightmare behind their backs, she's still mad about it."

"You see this as punishment," Aurora said, it wasn't a question. "I've seen into their heads. They're not punishing you. They look up to you when it comes to dragons, they want to get to your level on their own. Makes them stronger. Hiccup doesn't want to talk to the Triple Stryke behind their backs is because he wants you to trust him more, be more open."

"I just don't want to be sitting on that ship doing nothing," Serenity said. "I want to help with the wild dragons, it's the only thing I know how to do. Maybe I can find new dragons by myself, make new friends that way." Re frowned.

"I admire your desire to be friendly with our kind," he said. "But it wouldn't hurt to make friends with your own kind. See if you can make friends with at least one human." Serenity looked sadly into the distance, and placed a hand over her locket. All three dragons could tell what she was on her mind. Tenor placed a wing around her shoulders.

"Don't worry," he said. "Even if you loose this human friend, we'll still be there for you a long with all your other dragon friends."

"Dragon's honor," Aurora said. She nuzzled Serenity shoulder.

They sat there for a long time. Serenity want it to stay like this forever. But after about two hours Hiccup landed on the plateau. They sat up to look at him.

"We're getting ready to head back," Hiccup said. "Are you coming back to the Edge with us Re?"

"We'll come and stay for a while," said Re. They all got to their feet. Serenity got back onto Aurora's back, and they headed back to the storehouse.

When they got there Serenity and the other Draconians got back onto Skywalker's deck. Serenity took her spot at the helm and got the ship moving. It sailed away from the island, the riders following on their dragons. The Draconians all sang songs to pass the time. At one point in between songs Snotlout pulled Hookfang alongside the driving deck.

"Say, you think I could ever fly this ship?" Snotlout asked.

"No one flies this ship but Serenity," Re said sternly. "And no one commands it without my permission. Stoic gets to command it when he needs to, until I can pay off my debt to him." Snotlout steered Hookfang back in his original position.

They soon returned to the Edge. Serenity parked the ship in it's spot over the stables. The riders landed on the runway and dismounted. Serenity went to the front of the ship and sat on the railing beside the dragon figure head. The Draconian dragons took off to stretch their wings. Ruby was about to follow them when his attention was drawn to his ward. She looked lonely, and the riders were heading for their huts. They'd had a lot to eat at the storehouse, so Serenity didn't need to cook dinner for them. He trotted up to her, and gently nudged her shoulder. She turned and beamed at him.

"Ruby!" she exclaimed, and threw her arms around his neck. Ruby hugged her back.

"You look like you could use some company," he said. Serenity hugged him tighter.

"I knew I loved you for a reason," she said, jokingly. Ruby chuckled. "How's Harmony?"

"She's safe," Ruby said. "She's back home in Apple Grove." Serenity released him.

"You left her there all alone?" she asked.

"I would never forgive myself if she was captured by the hunters," Ruby said. "I'm the king's soldier so I must fight, she doesn't. I want her to be safe." Serenity stroked his neck.

"You're a good dragon Ruby," she said. "Very strong."

"Not every dragon gets a second chance," Ruby said. "I'm not going to take mine for granted." He smiled and Serenity stroked his forehead. He purred and lowered his head to her level.

"You okay? You look troubled," Ruby said. Serenity rested her head on Ruby's shoulder.

"Hiccup and the riders won't let me interact with the Triple Stryke," she said. "I understand their intentions but for some reason it still troubles me."

"Ah, let them have their one dragon," Ruby said. "You've got a whole nation of dragons to be friends with. Pretty high ranking ones too." Serenity took a deep breath, and turned her face into Ruby's warm scales.

"You're right," she said. "I shouldn't be so selfish." Ruby nuzzled her neck. He then changed the subject.

"You know, if you want to come live in Apple Grove with Harmony and me, we'd love it," he said. Serenity smiled.

"I would love that," she said. "I mean the castle's been my home all my life, but it's gotten too big without Chris." Ruby's eyes softened. "Apple Grove has a hospital I can work at doesn't it?"

"It does," Ruby said. "And we'll hang out with my siblings a whole lot too."

"That sounds absolutely wonderful," Serenity said. She hugged him again. "Thank you Ruby." Ruby returned the hug, wrapping his wings around her. Serenity always felt safe when she was wrapped in Ruby's warm wings. They were her safety blanket.

After a while she let go. Phoenix circled low over the ship's deck.

"Come on Ruby, we're all going hunting," she called. "You should come." Ruby looked back at Serenity.

"Will you be fine without me?" he asked. Serenity stroked his muzzle.

"I'll be okay," she said. "Just don't be gone long." Ruby nodded. He then spread his wings and took off. Both dragons left the ship and Serenity sat back in her chair to wait for him.

When night fell they came back. They all landed on the deck, some finishing up last bites. Serenity got off her chair and went to greet them. They smiled at her.

"Hey Serenity," said Morpho cheerfully. "Are you hungry?"

"No, not really," said Serenity. Then she noticed the two dragon scouts, Flambé and Pangea in the crowd.

"Vere ez 'iccup?" Flambé asked. "Ve 'ave news for heem."

"In his hut," said Serenity. "What news?"

"Ve 'ave seen 'unting activity near 'ere," said Flambé. "De riders are en good position to attack. Ve vill need dis ship as vell." The two scouts spread their wings and took off, heading for Hiccup's hut.

When they got there Pangea knocked on the door with her talons. Hiccup opened the door, Toothless right beside him.

"Sorry to disturb you," said Pangea. "But there's a big convoy of hunting ships in your area. You'll be in perfect position to attack in the morning."

"Ve can show you on your map," said Flambé.

"Ok," Hiccup said. They entered his hut and he pulled out his map. He laid it on the floor between him and the two scouts. Flambé pointed to where they'd seen the convoy, and the direction it was heading. Hiccup marked it with his charcoal pencil.

"Ve vill 'elp you take et out," Flambé said. "Et vill be an 'oner to fight beside a Night Fury. Skyvalker vill also 'elp."

"Thank you, we will head out first thing in the morning," Hiccup said. The two scouts nodded then took off again. They headed for Skywalker, and bed.

The next morning the riders headed out to find the convoy. Skywalker was right beside them with all its crew and weapons at the ready. It didn't take them long before the convoy was in sight.

"Ok, there's the convoy," said Hiccup, looking through his spyglass.

"We should split up," said Astrid. "That way we can take out more ships at once."

"Good idea Astrid," said Hiccup. "Lets go." But just as they were about to attack, when Snotlout spoke up.

"Wait why is Astrid making all the decisions now?" he asked.

"She's not making all the decisions," said Hiccup. "We'll go in for a sneak attack."

"I vote we attack," said Snotlout restlessly. He steered Hookfang towards the ships, and fired. Hiccup smacked his forehead. So they had no choice now but to go in full force. Skywalker helped by shooting their ballistas at the ship's hauls. However things got scary very quickly. Snotlout got extremely reckless. He shoved other riders out of the way, and blocking their attacks. He fired at the ships, but most of the dragons got hit with dragonroot arrows. They landed on Skywalker's deck. Hiccup and Snotlout were the only ones left, and they were badly overwhelmed. Re turned to the ship's crew.

"Lets finish this off with a Zippleback attack," he said. Tenor called to the two remaining dragons to stay clear. The airship flew over the convoy, and as it did so it released a huge cloud of Zippleback gas far bigger than Barf and Belch usually made. Viper put a huge barrel of Monstrous Nightmare gel into each of the ship's catapults at the back of the deck. When the gas was all released Viper lit the barrels on fire, then launched them at the convoy, which was completely hidden by the Zippleback gas. The barrels hit the gas and ignited it. The explosion it caused was enormous, and blasted the ships to pieces.

"Whoa! That was the most beautiful thing I ever saw," said Tuffnut.

When the explosion had cleared Hiccup and Snotlout landed their dragons on Skywalker's deck. Serenity steered the ship back towards the Edge. Not surprisingly all the riders were mad at Snotlout. No one spoke as the ship glided over the ocean. Ruby left his post at the catapult and sat beside Serenity's chair. She petted his snout.

"How are you doing?" Ruby asked.

"I'm all right," Serenity said. "I just want this all to be over."

"We all do," Ruby said. He nuzzled her neck. A sudden, faint, smell of gold reached his nostrils. He carefully ran a talon along Serenity's collar bone, until it snagged on the gold chain securing her dragon scale locket. He pulled the locket out and looked at it.

"That's a pretty locket," he said.

"Chris gave it to me, the day you left," Serenity said. "It was all I had left of you, now it's all I have left of him." Ruby held the locket in his talons. "It's made from your scales." Ruby used his talon to open the locket. He saw the two pictures of Chris and himself. He smiled and read the sentence on the back of the locket.

'And here we'll stay until we meet again.'

Ruby closed the locket and set it down.

"You never take it off?" he asked. Serenity shook her head.

"A Band-Aid for a broken heart," she said. She grasped the locket in her hand. "It's the only non living item that I treasure." She pumped more gas into the fire.

Soon they reached the base. Serenity pulled the ship to a stop right above the cliff. The riders got their dragons off the deck. They were still twitching from the dragonroot arrows. Serenity distributed bottles of antidote and the riders gave it to their dragons. The Draconians stayed on the air ship. Snotlout didn't seem to notice all the glares he was getting from the other riders.

"Now that's what I call a successful mission," Snotlout exclaimed

"By almost getting you whole team killed?" asked Astrid.

"I admit it was a little messy," said Snotlout. "But lets face it, I'm the reason we won."

"No, Skywalker's the reason we won," Fishlegs pointed out, pointing at the air ship.

"We almost lost the battle because of you," snapped Astrid. "You were suppose to cover our wing and diverse the arrows, but you peeled off leaving us exposed." She patted Stormfly on the beak.

"Meatlug was lining up a perfectly good shot," said Fishlegs. "When you shoved us out of the way and took the shot instead."

"We were about to unleash our new move," said Tuffnut. "When you used us as a distraction. Although I will admit, that ship's Zippleback attack was awesome to watch."

"It's not my fault I had to cover for you guys," said Snotlout.

"Snotlout, if Skywalker hadn't moved in, we would all have been captured and/or killed," said Astrid. They all shouted angrily at Snotlout. Hiccup quickly intercepted. He then picked up all the dragonroot arrows the riders had removed from their dragon's skin.

"Snotlout take these arrows far away and burn them," he said. "We don't want our dragons anywhere near them." Snotlout took the arrows and flew off.

The riders began to cool down and their dragons recovered. Serenity parked the air ship in its usual spot over the stables, then went to the front of the ship to still listen in on what the riders were saying. The Draconians readied the weapons for a future battle. Flambé approached Re and Aurora.

"Excuse me your 'iness," she said. "Ve are almost out of Zippleback gas."

"Thank you Flambé," said Aurora. She took off and glided down to the stables. She found Barf and Belch resting in their stall. They looked up when Aurora approached them.

"What can we do for you your majesty?" Belch ask.

"Skywalker running low on Zippleback gas," said Aurora. "That last attack took up a bunch it. I wonder if you would be good enough to refill the tanks. You will be well compensated."

"You saved all our lives with that ship," said Belch. "We will do it as a favor, your majesty."

"You're sure?" asked Aurora.

"Yes ma'am," said Barf. "My gas is at your service ma'am." They left the stables before Aurora could say another word. They flew up onto Skywalker's deck. Re showed where the Zippleback gas went. Barf filled it up willingly. When he was finished he turned back to Re and Aurora.

"Thank you," Re said.

"Our pleasure your majesties," said Belch. "Is that all you need?"

"Yes," said Aurora. "We may ask you to refill it again."

"And we'll do it without complaint," said Belch.

"So what do you think is up with Snotlout?" asked Barf.

"I'm not sure," said Aurora. "It would appear he wants to be in the spotlight all the time now, rather than most of the time. He's certainly living up to the human stereotype our subjects have created. I'm sure Hiccup will fix it."

"What do you see in your visions?" asked Belch. Aurora looked at the ladder to the upper deck and her expression went blank.

"I see dragonroot," she said. "Lots of it. I also see, an island similar to this one with the sun shinning on it. I see the riders' dragons going in to attack something on the island, can't see what it is though. All I see is green."

"What about Snotlout?" asked Belch. Aurora squinted.

"Unfortunately, I can't see humans in my visions," she said. "I can only see how the world is effected by them, and the world around them."

"Okay, how about Hookfang," said Barf. "What can you see him doing?" Aurora looked back at the ladder and focused.

"I can see Hookfang flying into battle, he's taking shots for the other dragons," she said. "And their destroying something, but I can't see what, it's all a green blur."

"It's so cool how you can see things before they happen," said Belch. Aurora gave a small smile.

"Well we should go find something to eat," said Barf. "That battle made us hungry." With one final bow, the Zippleback left.

Outside the riders were still in an uproar about Snotlout. Hiccup calmed them all down, by they still glared.

"I will talk to him," Hiccup said. "But right now I'm more worried about the hunters' supply of dragonroot. They've obviously increased production."

"And we're running low on antidote," said Fishlegs.

"I can make more," Serenity said. "I have the ingredients and lots of them." Hiccup reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a scroll.

"I got this off one of the ships," he said. He unrolled it. "It'll show us the source of the dragonroot."

On a different part of the island Hookfang followed Snotlout towards the cliff. Snotlout was muttering to himself angrily. Hookfang just followed quietly. When they got close to the cliff Hookfang tried snatching the arrows from Snotlout so he could burn them, but Snotlout kept swinging them around. Finally he looked down at the bottom of the cliff.

"Cliff, forge, what's the difference?" he said, and tossed the arrows over the side. He then mounted Hookfang and flew off.

Later that evening Hiccup and Toothless headed for the clubhouse after going over the chart and maps with Tenor and the two scouts on the airship. The dragons had all either gone fishing or went to sleep. The ship was quiet now, so Hiccup decided to check on the other riders. He found them playing Maces and Talons, Fishlegs against Tuffnut. Toothless was the only dragon present. Hiccup approached the game.

"Huh, Maces and Talons," he said, cheerfully.

"Epic marathon," said Heather. "And Fishlegs is about to win it for us."

"Did you have any luck with that chart from the hunters?" asked Astrid.

"Yup," Hiccup said. "And I have a pretty good idea where the dragonroot is coming from. Toothless and I will check it out tomorrow." He than glanced around and noticed who was missing. "Hey, where's Snotlout? He loves Maces and Talons."

"I thought Fishlegs invited him," said Heather.

"I thought the Twins invited him," said Fishlegs.

"We thought Astrid invited him," said Ruffnut.

"I never invite him," said Astrid coldly. Suddenly Snotlout came running into the clubhouse.

"We're under attack!" he shouted. The riders jumped to their feet immediately, knocking over the gam board. They ran for the exit, getting jammed in the doorway. Once they were free they mounted their dragons and took off. But when they were up in the air, they saw no dragon hunters. The sea was still. They all turned and looked down at Snotlout.

"It's called a drill," said Snotlout. "I wanted to see how quick you were in the event of an emergency. And you all failed miserably." He left and the riders landed again, very annoyed now. They cleaned up the game board. When they were finished they all headed for their huts.

Hiccup was in his hut looking at the chart he took off the hunting ship and his map. Toothless was dozing off in the corner. It was very quiet. But then Snotlout entered the room.

"Did you find anything with those charts?" he asked, talking very fast. "When do we attack?"

"Snotlout what is going on with you?" asked Hiccup. "First you ruin the battle, then you pull a prank that could have hurt someone." Snotlout faced him.

"Hiccup it's passed time you realized how important I am," said Snotlout. "I won't end up as a beggar in the streets. I'm just as good, if not better, than the other guys. And I want to lead the dragon riders when Stoic makes you chief." Hiccup pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"Okay," he said. "But you can't just elbow your way into a leadership roll. You have, things you need to work on. You need to sharpen your battle skills like Astrid, you need to show you can be trusted like Heather, and you need to be thoughtful and strategic like Fishlegs. You get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah I get it," said Snotlout bitterly. "You think I can't do it. Well guess what Hiccup, we Jorgensons don't ask permission to be great." With that he ran outside. Hiccup exchanged a worried look with Toothless. After a few minuets he went back to his map.

Up on the airship the dragons were settling down for the night. Serenity sat in her chair, looking down at the village and up at the stars. Things were quieting down, but she didn't feel tired. She watched the riders getting ready for bed. They put their dragons in their stalls, except for Toothless who slept in Hiccup's hut. One by one the lights in the huts went out. The world grew quiet and with no moon in the sky, pitch black. Serenity leaned back in her chair and looked up at the stars. Draco's stars weren't visible, but she could see other constelations that Tenor had pointed out to her in the past.

She must have sat there for about half an hour. Suddenly she heard the beating of wings and the click of talons landing on the deck. She could suddenly see a pair of glowing eyes staring at her, but couldn't tell which dragon it was.

"Serenity?" it was Aurora. "Why are you still up?"

"I can't sleep," Serenity said. She heard Aurora come up the stairs to her. Her silver eyes glowed like moons.

"It's way passed your bedtime," she said. "Come to bed, now." They glowing eyes looked a touch disapproving. Serenity sighed and got to her feet. Aurora followed her down to the deck bellow and over to her room. All the other dragons were sound asleep. Serenity entered her room and shut the door. It still felt stuffy so she opened the window, which had finally been fixed. With that done she got into bed, but couldn't fall asleep. Outside she suddenly heard a dragon exhaling and she fell asleep in seconds.

The next day Astrid and Stormfly were sharpening their battle tactics. They snuck through shrubs that lined a clearing where a flock of Tiny Terrors were sleeping. Astrid looked through the shrubs at the little dragons.

"There they are," she whispered to Stormfly. Suddenly Snotlout popped up beside her.

"There who are?" he asked, a bit too loudly. Astrid glared and pulled him out of sight.

"The dragons," she hissed.

"Oh right," said Snotlout. "Why are we whispering?"

"So they don't discover us," Astrid explained. "If those dragons don't know we're here, hunters never will." Snotlout look very interested. Astrid and Stormfly snuck off, Snotlout and Hookfang followed.

"Shhh," Astrid hissed at Snotlout.

"Yeah Hookfang, shhh," Snotlout hissed at Hookfang. They continued to sneak through the shrubs. Soon Astrid stopped and looked out at the dragons again, Snotlout came to a stop next to her.

"Don't make a sound," said Astrid. But Snotlout wasn't listening. He suddenly burst out of the shrubs and charged at the Terrors, making them scatter. He managed to snag one and held it tightly.

"Nailed it!" he exclaimed. He turned to see Astrid glaring at him.

"The exercise wasn't about surprising one of them Snotlout," she said, annoyed. "It was about tricking all of them." At that moment the flock of Terrors came storming after Snotlout, making him run off.

Hiccup had followed the map and chart to an island a good long flight from Dragon's Edge. Hiccup looked though his spyglass and spotted two hunting ships sailing away from the island.

"Well bud, I see two ships down there but I don't see any Dragonroot," he said as he scanned the landscape. But he soon spotted a bonfire and focused the spyglass on them. There was one hunter hacking at a large dragonroot, there was one who was dipping arrows into a massive cauldron over the bonfire that held bubbling dragonroot extract, that man dipped the arrows then put them on a table where more arrows law. Hiccup then spotted crates filled with thousands of dragonroot arrows.

"There's a massive production line down there," he said. "But where's the dragonroot." He lowered the spyglass and scanned the island. He saw no large dragonroot crop. But then something green caught his eye and focused the spyglass on it. It turned out to be green netting strung between several trees. A corner of it was flapping in the faint breeze. Hiccup smirked.

"Nice try Viggo," he said. He put the spyglass away, then turned Toothless around and flew back towards the Edge.

Back on the Edge, Heather was heading for Astrid's hut with a small bouquet of flowers. She was suddenly approached by Snotlout.

"Hey Heather, whatcha doing?" he asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" asked Heather, a touch annoyed.

"Well I see you heading for my hut with flowers," said Snotlout, sounding far too hopeful.

"Don't get too excited," said Heather. "Their for Astrid as a thank you for letting be borrow her ax." She slung the ax over her shoulder. Snotlout look surprised.

"She loaned you her ax?" he asked. "She sleeps with that thing under her pillow."

"That's what friends do for each other," said Heather.

"No one ever loans me anything," Snotlout grumbled.

"Maybe because they don't trust you enough to bring stuff back," said Heather. Snotlout paused and Heather continued onward. Snotlout stood there deep in thought.

He went back to his hut and gathered all the items he'd snatched from the Twins. He then went to Fishlegs' garden and ripped up a few dead flowers. He carried it all to the Twins. Naturally they were pissed about Snotlout stealing there stuff. They snatched it back and slammed the door in his face.

Fishlegs saw the fate of his flowers and panicked.

"My flowers are all ripped up," he shrieked. "Who would do such a thing Meatlug." The Gronkle was fast asleep however. Just then Snotlout approached.

"Hey Fishy, see you're working on your garden," he said. Fishlegs glared at him.

"You," he growled. "Do you know anything about my missing flowers?"

"I can't say that I do," Snotlout lied. "But I did see Heather with some flowers earlier."

"Now I got to replant the whole garden," said Fishlegs, annoyed. "The zen is totally out of balance."

"I, could, help, you," said Snotlout very slowly. Fishlegs snickered.

"You? Since when have you been good a planting flowers," he said.

"I'm working on being more thoughtful and strategic," Snotlout explained. "Truthfully I've always admired your work Fishlegs, and I've always loved, plants."

"Oh," said Fishlegs surprised. "In that case lets get started. You have your orientals and your eatables, and you don't want to get those mixed up. Then you have those that Serenity uses in her remedies."

"Yeah yeah," Snotlout said, getting bored. He picked up one of the dead flowers. "Let's start with this one." He went to plant it.

"No, Snotlout," said Fishlegs. "You have to be strategic in your planting. Some like sun, some like shade. Some like partial sun, and some like partial shade." Snotlout scowled.

"How do you know what they like?" he asked. "They can't talk." Just then the Twins approached Fishlegs with the dead flowers Snotlout had given them earlier.

"Hey Fishlegs, Snotlout gave us these flowers and they totally died," said Ruffnut. Fishlegs turned to glare at Snotlout, who was already running for his life.

Hiccup soon returned and found all the riders all riled up. They all gathered at the clubhouse, Snotlout was not present. Hiccup sat on a bench and just listened.

"He totally sabotaged my training exercise," said Astrid.

"And he totally ruined my serenity garden," said Fishlegs.

"And let's not forget he almost got us killed," said Heather. Hiccup finally spoke.

"Look Snotlout's clearly gong through something," he said. "And we need to be there for him, as hard as that may seem sometimes. He's one of the team." The others considered.

"Hiccup's right," said Fishlegs. "A garden can be regrown, but a broken team can take years to fix."

"I agree that he's one of us," Astrid said reluctantly. "But we have a whole bunch of dragonroot to take out. How are you going to snap Snotlout out of it." Hiccup thought a moment. Then he told everyone to meet him on Skywalker's deck.

The riders headed up to the airship. Hiccup fetched Snotlout and Hookfang, and met them there with a chalk board. He drew a 3-D map of the island where the dragonroot was. He marked where the stock pile was, where the bonfire was, and where the green netting was. The riders were all gathered with their dragons and with the Draconians. When Hiccup finished he turned to face them.

"Listen up," he said. "Viggo's growing the dragonroot in these fields under green camouflaged tarps. Over here is where they harvest the dragonroot, and here's there stock pile. The whole island is heavily fortified."

"Sounds complicated," said Astrid.

"And by complicated you mean impossible," said Tuffnut.

"Nothing's impossible," said Fishlegs enthusiastically. "I'm sure Hiccup has a perfectly good plan."

"We'll do a practice run here at the Edge to make sure we're perfect," said Hiccup. "And Snotlout's going to lead the mission." This surprised everyone, including Snotlout.

"Me?" he said, shocked.

"Yes you," Hiccup confirmed.

"Ok, great. I'm the leader," said Snotlout. "So that means..." he trailed off.

"That means you have to pick someone to drop the barrel of Monstrous Nightmare on the stock pile," said Hiccup. "It has to be a precise hit so Toothless can hit it." The Twins waved their hands in the air. Snotlout rolled his eyes.

"I'll do it," he said. "I'll do it." The Twins put their hands down, looking crestfallen.

"What do you need us to do?" asked Re.

"We need to to help keep the reinforcements off us," Hiccup said. "And we'll need a few barrels of Nightmare gel." Two Draconians went into the deck underneath the driving deck. They came back rolling two large barrels of Nightmare gel. The riders mounted their dragons. Astrid went over to Hiccup.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"He needs a confidence boost," Hiccup said. "This's be good for him." He swung onto the saddle.

"But," Astrid protested, but Hiccup continued.

"Which is why we're doing a practice run," he said. "I'll be right there incase something happens." Astrid felt a bit better. She mounted Stormfly and they took off. Hookfang carried one of the barrels of gel. Serenity got the ship moving and followed the riders.

Hiccup and some of the Draconians set up for the practice run. When it was all ready, the riders formed a battle formation. The ship was right behind them. Snotlout took the lead.

"Ok riders," he said loudly. "Astrid, Heather, Twins, you take out the catapult." The three said riders flew off. "Fishlegs, you focus on the farm." Fishlegs steered Meatlug away. "Hiccup you get in position." With everyone doing their assignments, Snotlout steered Hookfang towards a bulls eye on the ground. Hiccup and Toothless flew close behind. At first things were looking promising. But then Snotlout and Hookfang began flying super erratically, and got out of control. The riders watched him, worried. Suddenly Hookfang flew right at them with Snotlout screaming at the top of his lungs. Hookfang let go of the barrel and it headed right for Hiccup and Toothless. Meatlug blasted it before it hit them though. With the practice run aborted Snotlout got himself and his dragon under control. He faced the other riders, looking very guilty.

The riders headed back to the stables and land on the runway. Serenity pulled the ship to a stop above them. While the dragons were cooling off, Hiccup and Toothless went to have a word with Snotlout. The came back a few minuets later.

"So how's Snotlout?" asked Fishlegs.

"Not good," said Hiccup. "He's not going on the mission. He has grounded himself, indefinitely." So the riders took off without Snotlout. The airship followed them.

Snotlout hiked up to a nearby cliff and sat down. Hookfang watched him. He snorted in irritation and nudged Snotlout hard with his snout. Snotlout ignored him, so he nudged harder.

"Knock it off Hookfang," Snotlout said. Hookfang kept nudging him, trying to get him angry. He whipped his tail into Snotlout's back.

"I said knock it off Hookfang," he growled. "We're not going and nothing you do will change my mind."

Next thing he knew he was being dangled upside down over the cliff, his foot clamped in Hookfang's jaws. He glared and folded his arms. Hookfang held him there for several minuets.

"Drop the act Hookfang," Snotlout said. "We both know you're not going to do it." To prove him wrong, Hookfang let go. Snotlout fell several feet and landed on the same ledge where he had dropped the dragonroot arrows. A few dragonroot plants had sprouted. Snotlout investigated.

"Huh, I guess you guys like sun," he said. But then he began adding things up in his mind, then he got a terrible feeling. "So the hunters must have something else hidden under the green camouflaged tarps. Hookfang!"

The riders were approaching the island. Meatlug held a second barrel of gel from Skywalker's magazine. The thought of Snotlout was driven from the riders' minds for the moment and they focused on the battle. The hunters started firing at them. The riders and airship fired back, and managed to scatter the hunters and destroyed the catapults. Hiccup and Fishlegs flew their dragons towards the dragonroot arrow stock pile. They pulled off a successful hit, destroying all they arrows.

"Nice job Fishlegs," said Hiccup. "Now lets roast som dragonroot and get out of here." They all flew towards the tarps, the ship followed. However no one saw the ballista spear aimed at Toothless. It fired and would have hit the Night Fury had Snotlout not flown in and blocked it. The riders all looked at Snotlout quite surprised.

"Snotlout what are you doing here?" Hiccup asked.

"It's a trap," Snotlout cried. More ballista spears were fired at them. Snotlout steered Hookfang down to the tarps and set them on fire. When they vanished, the riders saw at least twenty ballistas aimed at them. The riders fired at them. Snotlout started directing the riders left and right. Skywalker fired their ballistas, being careful not to hit any of the dragons. Snotlout was covering Astrid's wing when both riders spotted Hiccup getting shot at by more spears that Toothless had shots.

"Peel off Snotlout, Hiccup needs your help," said Astrid.

"No, I'm not leaving your wing," said Snotlout.

"Just go," Astrid demanded. Snotlout reluctantly flew over to Hiccup, who was about to be hit by a spear. Hookfang put on a burst of speed and took the hit instead. It didn't stab them, but it hit so hard that Hookfang was thrown off course. Both dragon and rider hit the ground hard, and Snotlout was thrown from the saddle. The riders soon succeeded in blowing up the ballistas, with help of Skywalker. The hunters scattered and the ballistas burned. The riders landed their dragons, dismounted, and ran to Snotlout who was unconscious. The Draconains watched uneasily from Skywalker's deck. A small silence filled the air. But then Snotlout came round, and accidentally punched Fishlegs in the face. Snotlout got to his feet, seeing all the riders beaming at him.

"Snotlout, you saved my life," said Hiccup, slightly dumbfounded.

"Yeah, two times," said Snotlout faintly.

"So if the tarps were a trap," said Fishlegs. "Where's all the dragonroot." Snotlout considered. He glanced up at the nearby mountain, one side of which was covered in sunlight.

Snotlout and Hookfang led all the riders and airship to that side of the mountain. They found a huge crop of dragonroot that were ready for harvesting. The dragons unleashed all their fire, and burned every last crop. Hiccup pulled Toothless alongside Snotlout and Hookfang.

"How did you know the dragonroot was here?" Hiccup asked.

"Interesting fact Hiccup," said Snotlout. "Some plants like sun and some like shade."

"I got to say you were incredible back there," said Hiccup. "Who knows what the future will bring for all of us."

"I guess I should live my destiny the way I want and not the way my dad wants," said Snotlout.

"You know, we might not be so different after all," said Hiccup. The riders finished off the dragonroot crop, then turned and headed back to the Edge with Skywalker following.


	5. Saving Shattermaster

Saving Shattermaster

Mala and Throck were looking around a trading post. Mala wanted to test Snotlout to see if he had what it took to be king. She and Throck browsed through an iron mason's collection of weapons. Throck picked up a sword and seemed satisfied.

"These weapons will do nicely," he said. "If you'd be so kind as to box them up for us." The iron mason glared.

"I'm sorry but those weapons are spoken for," he rumbled. Throck exchanged a glance with Mala.

"Ok, then we'll take these," Throck said, gesturing towards a different bundle of weapons.

"Like I said, spoken for," said the iron mason.

"Spoken for by who?" asked Mala. But before the mason could answer a pair of dragon hunters approached, picked up the two crates of weapons and walked off. Both Throck and Mala took a fighting stance. Throck blocked the hunters' path. The hunter in front put down his crate and pulled out a sword, aiming it at Trock. Throck pulled out his ax and Mala pulled out her samari sword. But before they could start fighting, a hooded figure approached them.

"Hunters!" he roared, picking up a bludgeon. "Have you lost your minds? On your knees before Queen Mala." He smacked the bludgeon into the back of the hunters' knees, knocking them over. The hooded figure stood up straight.

"I apologize," he said. "They're not known for their strength of mind. You're lucky I came along when I did. You should leave here, it's not safe for you anymore." With that he left, leaving Throck and Mala stunned.

They sailed back to their island. When they got there, Mala sent a Terror message to Dragon's Edge, and asked the riders to come to their island. The riders arrived with the airship a few hours later. Mala explained what had happened at the trading post. Naturally everyone was very interested.

"So this hooded stranger risked his life for you," said Hiccup.

"Without him, who knows what would have happened," said Mala, stroking Toothless.

"And you've bought weapons on this island before?" asked Hiccup. Mala nodded.

"It's never been like that," said Heather. "That trading post has always been peaceful."

"We should go see what those hunters were up to?" said Hiccup. "Thank you Mala, it's good you sent for us." While the riders continued to talk, Serenity stood beside Re and Aurora. At that moment Throck approached them.

"Good to see you again Serenity," he said politely. Serenity smiled and shyly waved.

"If you don't mind me asking," said Aurora. "Why were you looking to get new weapons when you have perfectly good ones already?"

"We are preparing for the Trials Queen Aurora," Throck said. "Mala wants to test Snotlout Jorgenson. She thinks he will do as our king." Both Re and Aurora exchanged a glance.

"What sort of trials?" Serenity asked.

"It a series of three tasks," Throck explained. "They test endurance, physical strength, and intelligence. The tasks are very dangerous. Snotlout will have to get through all of them in order to prove his worth."

"Hmmm," Re said. "I suppose that's one way of doing it." Hiccup approached them.

"Re, Heather and I are going to check out the Northern Markets," he said. "The others are going to stay here and help with these trials."

"Tenor should go with you," Re said. "You're going to need him more than we will."

"You can take the ship do if you want," Aurora said.

"We're going under cover," said Hiccup. "That ship will give us away. I think we'll be fine without it."

"Very well," Re said. "We'll stay behind as well, and watch the show." He smirked. Hiccup and Heather mounted their dragons. Tenor turned to his rider. Serenity threw her arms around his neck.

"You going to be okay?" he asked.

"I think so," Serenity said. "Just please don't get yourself killed."

"Don't worry, I'll be back in no time," Tenor said. He stepped back and followed Hiccup and Heather. Serenity watched him fly away, a bit sadly.

Heather lead them all to the trading post. Hiccup had borrowed two disguises from the Defenders of the Wing. They reached the island and landed in a dense grove of trees. Hiccup and Heather donned their disguises.

"Perfect," said Heather. "With these disguises no one will know it's you." They turned to leave, but heard their dragons following.

"No, you guys stay here," said Hiccup. "Two masked strangers is one thing, but two masked strangers with a Night Fury and a Razorwhip, that might not be so stealthy." All three dragons slumped in disappointment. Hiccup and Heather walked off.

"Oh, come on, stealthy is my middle name," Toothless said grouchily.

"I get the feeling these hunters will find out it's Hiccup pretty quick," said Windshear. "They all know he has a metal leg."

"Come on you two," Tenor said. "We can at least watch from the sidelines and step in when something happens." He led the way towards the trading post, staying within the tree line. From here they could watch the two riders enter the trading post.

"There's hunters everywhere," said Heather.

"Whoever that hooded stranger was, he was right," Hiccup said. "It's not safe here." Just then he spotted an iron mason. "Look, that must be the iron mason Mala was talking about." They went up to the iron mason's stall and started browsing though the collection of weapons. But a gang of hunters stomped up to them.

"These weapons are spoken for," one of them snapped.

"Ok, well I was just browsing," Hiccup said. He and Heather walked away. Tenor jumped onto the branch of a tree. All three dragons spotted the hunters advancing on the riders.

"Set fire to stun," Tenor whispered. The dragons took a fighting stance. The hunters jumped both Hiccup and Heather, taking them completely surprise. Toothless fired at the hunters. Tenor and Windshear followed suit. This distracted the hunters just long enough for Hiccup and Heather to get away.

They ran to the far side of the island, near a small pier. The dragons found them catching their breath.

"Are you okay?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Heather. Once the got their breath back they started looking around for their dragons. Just Heather spotted something out of the corner of her eye. She looked to see a group of dragon hunters gathered on the pier, one of them was wearing a hooded cloak. Heather thought the hooded figure looked familiar. Hiccup turned around.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," Heather said. "I though I saw..." But before she could finished there came a loud, very familiar laugh. They turned to see the hooded stranger lower his hood. It turned out to be Dagur. Both Hiccup and Heather were stunned.

"But that's impossible," said Hiccup. "We saw..."

"I know what we saw," Heather interrupted angrily. "But that's Dagur."

"And from the looks of things," said Hiccup. "He's working with the dragon hunters." They both removed their hoods and masks for the moment. Heather glared down at the pier where Dagur was messing with the group of hunters.

"I should have trusted my instincts," Heather growled. "Dagur will always be a sneaky, low..."

"Whoa whoa, hold on a second," said Hiccup. "Dagur risked his life to save ours, all of hours. Why would he do that then go right back to the hunters? It doesn't make sense."

"He's Dagur, since when does anything he does make sense?" asked Heather.

"Okay rarely," Hiccup agreed. "Look I want to get to the bottom of this as much as you do, minus the death by double headed ax part. But we shouldn't do anything rash yet. We'll capture him and question him back on the Edge." Heather sighed, then lowered her ax.

"Fine, I'll do it your way for now," Heather said.

"Thank you Heather," said Hiccup. "I know this is hard." They both put their masks and hood back on and walked off.

Back at the Defenders' village Snotlout was preparing himself for his first task. Everyone was gathered around a pool of lava. Serenity had parked the airship near it, but had to keep it several feet from the heat of the lava to prevent the ship from crashing. Re and Aurora escorted the Eruptadon from her layer, Mala had requested her assistance. Once she was in place, the Eruptadon fired lava rocks into the pool of lava, creating stepping stones across it.

"Nicely done Lavette," said Aurora.

"Thank you ma'am," the Eruptadon said. They all turned to watch. The Twins hovered their Zippleback overhead, ready to snatch Snotlout to safety if needed. Snotlout took off across the stepping stones. He moved quickly to prevent his feet from getting singed. Everyone watched with bated breath. But Snotlout made it across, only burning the toes of his shoes. Everyone cheered.

"That was very impressive," the Eruptadon said.

"Do you want to watch the rest?" asked Re.

"No thanks your majesty," the Eruptadon answered. "I'm getting hungry and that volcano is getting full again." She spread her wings and flew back to her layer. Everyone else headed on to the next task.

Back at the trading post Hiccup and Heather poked around the area, hopping to catch Dagur. Their dragons and Tenor were searching the area separately. Tenor searched from the air while Toothless and Windshear searched from the ground. Tenor's sharp predatory eyes scoured the landscape. It took him no time to tack down Dagur. He spotted him still on the coast. He swooped down and snatched him up in his talons. He flew back in the direction of the other two dragons. He sent sonar signals to Toothless, a communication skill they'd taught themselves. I let them communicate when sending up a fire signal was too risky. Toothless heard the signal and send a reply. Tenor homed in on it and found the other two dragons near the trading post. He swooped down and dropped Dagur in front of them. Toothless grabbed Dagur by his collar and dragged him to Hiccup and Heather, who were hiding between two stalls. At once Heather intimidated Dagur, but he began panicking and shouting at top of his lungs. This attracted the hunters and they attacked again. The two riders and three dragons fought back, Tenor continued to stay airborne. During the fight however, Dagur slipped away.

Meanwhile Snotlout was preparing for the second task. Everyone was now gathered around a deep maze with shallow water in the bottom. Colorful eels swan through the water hissing loudly. Throck turned to Snotlout.

"This is your second task Snotlout Jorgenson," he said. "You must get through the maze in one piece." Snotlout looked into the maze rather nervously.

"Um, those wouldn't be friendly eels would they?" he asked. "You know the kind that make great pets?" Throck smirked.

"Well, if you like vicious poisonous eels as pets, then yes," he said. "You may take a weapon into the maze if you like." Snotlout grabbed a mace from the rack of weapons.

"Will it help my chances?" he asked.

"No," Throck said, laughing. He went over to stand next to Mala and the Draconians. Serenity stood next to Aurora, having vacated the airship for the moment. They all watched Snotlout enter the maze. At once the eels began leaping at him. Fishlegs and Meatlug hovered overhead. Snotlout continued to run through the maze, despite the eels latching onto him. At first he seemed to make good progress, swatting the eels away with the mace. But as he ran towards the exit, three enormous eels raised their heads out of the water. They hissed at Snotlout, who was now outnumbered. Fishlegs flew to in attempts to get him out, but Snotlout refused. Just then the giant eels dived at the two of them. It was quiet for a few minuets, Mala looked very nervous. But then Snotlout emerged carrying a dazed Fishlegs out of the maze. All the riders looked relieved. They all gathered around to congratulate Snotlout. Re and Serenity went to check on the airship. Aurora helped clear up after the event.

When things were put away, Mala approached Aurora who was stretching her limbs and wings.

"This has been quite a day," Mala said.

"Indeed," Aurora said. "I trust tomorrow is the final event."

"First thing in the morning," Mala said. "If you don't mind me asking Queen Aurora, what helped you choose a king? How did you know King Re was the one." Aurora sat on her haunches.

"Re and I have been together since we were eggs," she said. "We've always had each other's backs. Even before we were mates I knew no one would be better. Re's a natural born leader." She suddenly yawned.

"Will you be joining us for the feast tonight?" asked Mala. Aurora considered.

"Perhaps for a bit," she said. "But we haven't slept for a while."

"How long can you go without sleep?" asked Mala.

"About three weeks," Aurora said. Just then she heard Re calling her. "Excuse me." She turned and went to join him.

Back at the trading post, Hiccup, Heather, and the three dragons managed to track down Dagur. Tenor stayed in the air. The sun was setting and the sky was going dark. Tenor used this to his advantage. He and Toothless continued communicating with sonar. They found Dagur on the edge of the pier he'd been on earlier. He watched three hunting ships heading towards him. He was completely unaware that he was being watched. Heather and Hiccup looked down at him from a tower of boulders. Heather gripped her ax.

"This could be my only chance," she said, and ran off before Hiccup could stop her. She charged at Dagur, ax ready. Dagur only just managed to get out of the way. He tried to run but Windshear landed and blocked him with a fire blast. Dagur ducked out of sight. But then Toothless joined the activity and shot a plasma blast at Dagur. Rolling his eyes, Dagur jumped back out just as Windshear readied another blast. She fired at Dagur, but he jumped out of the way and the blast nearly hit Toothless. Hiccup joined the fight last. Toothless opened his mouth to fire at Dagur again.

"No," Hiccup ordered, putting his hands over the dragon's mouth. "Stop firing bud." Toothless snorted. Suddenly the hunters from the ships started shooting dragonroot arrows at them. "Start firing bud!" Toothless fired at the arrows without hesitation. The blast made the arrows scatter. The ships got closer and the two dragons fired at them. Dagur managed to slip away again. But he didn't go unnoticed. Hiccup and Heather mounted their dragons and took off. Hiccup looked over at Heather.

"We need to get Dagur out of here," he said. "We'll question him back at the Edge." Heather nodded.

"I can help," Tenor said, flying up next to them. The two riders agreed. They flew after Dagur. Toothless and Windshear landed in front of him. He turned and ran in the opposite direction. But Tenor swooped down and snatched him up, like an eagle snagging a fish. Dagur accidentally hit his head as Tenor took off again. They headed back towards the Edge.

Mid flight Dagur came round, and found he was still clutched in Tenor's claws. He panicked.

"You have to let me go," he said. "Hiccup, Heather."

"I thought you didn't know us," said Heather. "Funny getting your memory back now."

"I never lost my memory," Dagur said. "I just let you think that. I needed to hide my identity. I am working for the hunters." Tenor growled and clenched his claws tighter, but Dagur continued. "But only because the have Shattermaster." Everyone grew quiet at this. "I saw him, he was with a shipment of Gronkles headed for port. I pretended to join the hunters to get more information. I was only trying to save my dragon Hiccup, but now it's too late, I'll never see Shattermaster again." Hiccup, Heather, and Tenor exchanged a glance. "Please put me down Tenor." Tenor spotted a large sea stack bellow. He snorted and glided down to it. He tossed Dagur on top of it, then landed. Hiccup and Heather landed their dragons beside them. They looked at Dagur.

"So this was all to save his dragons," said Hiccup. "He's not really working with the hunters. Is there something you want to say Heather?"

"Like what?" Heather snapped.

"Oh, you know something apologetic, followed by something sisterly," said Hiccup.

"Sisterly!?" Heather snapped. Just then Dagur turned to face them.

"So lets talk about how you were going to make this up to me," he said cheerfully.

"Make this up to you!?" Heather growled clutching her ax. Hiccup had to hold her back.

"Dagur we'd be happy to help you get your dragon back," he said. "Right Heather."

"Sure," said Heather, elbowing Hiccup in the gut. "Right after I get some answers."

"Heather, I promise to explain everything to you," Dagur said. Tenor sat on his haunches.

"When I was a dragonet I always wanted a sister," he said in Dragontongue. "It would have been nice to have another dragon look like me."

"Do you think she would have been bullied too?" asked Windshear.

"Probably," Tenor said. "But I would have had her back."

"Well, you don't know what happened to your parents," Toothless said. "So they might still be alive and have hatched more eggs. So you may have a sister, or brother."

"I don't want to get my hopes up," Tenor said. "Having a sister would be so wonderful, because I'm so sure I'll never get a mate." Windshear nudged him.

"You'll find someone I know it," she said. "And when you do, perhaps your hatchling will look like you. Then you won't be so alone anymore." Tenor sighed, and a hopeless expressed appeared on his face. Toothless decided to change the subject to spare Tenor anymore emotional pain.

"I wonder how the other riders are doing," he said.

"Well, they have the airship and they have my comrades," Tenor said. "They couldn't be better off." He stretched his wings and limbs. They turned their attention back to the humans.

"So, tell me you have one of your Hiccupy plans to get my dragon back," said Dagur.

"There are many of Viggo's ships out there," said Hiccup.

"I've been watching them like a hawk," said Dagur. "I know which one the Gronkles are on." Hiccup went over to his dragon.

"We'll be more successful if we split up," he said. "Tenor, you think Dagur can ride on your back until we get Shattermaster back?" Tenor narrowed his eyes, but gave a nod. Heather and Hiccup mounted their dragons and Dagur mounted Tenor. They took off.

The rest of the riders were feasting with the Defenders. Serenity and the Draconians had turned in for the night after eating their fill. The airship hovered near the plaza. As the riders and Defenders ate the feast, Throck glanced up at the ship. The window to Serenity's cabin was glowing with a white glow. A shadow would move across it every few minutes. Throck went over to the ship. He picked up a small pebble and threw it at the window. The noise attracted Serenity and she opened the window. She looked down and saw Throck standing there.

"Hello Throck," she said, smiling. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if I could come up and talk for a few minuets," Throck said. Serenity glanced over her shoulder.

"Well, my king and queen are asleep," she said. "So I guess you can. But know this, they may be sleeping but they can hear very word you say, so be careful." Trock nodded in understatement. "And you can leave the ax, you won't need it up here." Throck put his ax on the ground then he climbed the rope ladder to her window and climbed through it. Inside Re and Aurora were sound asleep on the floor near the bed. Serenity sat next to Re, and began trimming his talons.

"How long have you been with these dragons?" Throck asked.

"Since I was five," Serenity said. "My guardian dragon, Ruby, found me one day. The family I had originally lived with were very abusive towards me. They would often kicked me out onto the porch for absolutely no reason. Ruby found me during one of these incidences. He became my first ever friend. Then that family beat me up and threw me out to die. Ruby took me away from there and brought me to these two." She looked between Re and Aurora. "They allowed us to live in their castle. And they introduced me to their adopted human son, Chris." She said the last part very sadly. Throck could already guess why.

"He is no longer around," he said. Serenity nodded.

"Chris drowned in the sea when was twelve," she said. Re suddenly flinched and let out a sad moan, but didn't wake up. Serenity stroked his face sympathetically. "None of us have really recovered from that."

"Ah, we understand that kind of loss all too well around here," Throck said. "Many of our friends have been lost to the sea. But they will live on in our hearts."

"Yes," Serenity agreed, pulling out her dragon scale locket.

"I would imagine these dragons are a bit overprotective of you," Throck said. Serenity nodded.

"Re said I'm all he has left of Chris," she said. "And this locket is all I have left of him." She went back to clipping Re's talons. When she was finished she filed them down and put her tools away.

"How long have you been a healer?" Throck asked.

"Few years," Serenity said. "I don't really know. But I don't intent to stop anytime soon. It's helped me make lots of dragon friends."

"And you're not afraid of them," said Throck.

"No," Serenity said. "The only things I'm afraid of are humans and wolves. I'm not even scared of spiders." She got to her feet and went over her night stand, being careful to not step on Aurora's wing. She poured water into two goblets and handed one to Throck. He took it and sipped the water. Serenity sat on her bed.

"So, if your friend were alive today, how different would your life be?" Throck asked.

"I would probably be married to him," Serenity said. "And I'd have someone to fly with. I also wouldn't have to do all the translating because Chris was the first human to ever learn the dragon's language, I'm the second." Just then Throck heard Mala calling him.

"Looks like I need to go," he said.

"Yeah, I should get to bed," Serenity said. Throck drained his goblet. "Thanks for talking."

"I'll see you all tomorrow," Throck said. He climbed back out the window and down the ladder. Serenity got ready for bed and turned out the light.

Hiccup and the others followed the dragon hunters to a nearby camp. Both Hiccup and Tenor scouted the camp, using the dark for cover. They didn't see any Gronkles, but barrels of new weapons. The two dragons rejoined Heather.

"No Gronkles," Hiccup said. "But the hunters have a huge supply of new weapons."

"Like these," said Heather, holding up a mace. The dragons took off again.

"So where are the Gronkles?" asked Tenor asked.

"I have a theory," Hiccup said. "Maybe Viggo traded the Gronkles to the iron mason to get the weapons."

"But what would he want with Gronkles?" asked Heather.

"He's making Gronkle Iron," Tenor said.

"The iron mason's ship left the trading port heading east," Hiccup said.

"We find the iron mason," said Dagur

"We find Shattermaster," said Heather.

"Tenor, lead us east," Hiccup said. Tenor sped up and took the lead. They headed east.

Soon they saw the island the iron mason was going. At once they spotted a group of Gronkles being herded into a small domed cage. Hiccup looked through his spyglass and got a closer look. Dagur got all excited. They landed their dragons out of sight of the camp. Dagur dismounted and looked down at the hunters.

"I almost feel bad for those guys," Dagur gloated. "Lets show them what three angry dragon riders are capable of."

"Ok first off Dagur, you're not a..." Hiccup started but Dagur ran off before could finished. "Dragon rider." Tenor narrowed his eyes a bit at that. Both Hiccup and Heather took off and helped Dagur fight the hunters. Tenor helped as well, blowing up anything that wasn't living. Working together they were able to drive the hunters away. Dagur released the Gronkles including Shattermaster. All three riders flew their dragons out of there, the Gronkles following. They landed on a nearby sea stack, Tenor latched onto the side of it. Dagur dismounted and faced the other two.

"I know you're probably mad at me Hiccup, and want to yell at me," he said.

"I'm not mad," said Hiccup.

"Really, I had such a good speech planed," Dagur said.

"You were just trying to save your dragon," said Heather. "We all would have done the same."

"We all have done the same," Hiccup said. "Multiple times." Toothless let out a happy roar in agreement. Suddenly Heather spotted something.

"Hiccup look," she said, pointing to a fleet of hunting ships heading for them.

"The rest of Viggo's fleet," said Hiccup. "We need to get these Gronkles out of here."

"But how are we going to do that without the hunters spotting us?" asked Heather.

"They'll be too busy following me," said Dagur. "I'll divert them while you get the Gronkles out of here."

"What no," Heather protested.

"Heather, I promise to return to you," Dagur said, more seriously. "And tell you everything, and answer all your questions. This handshake seals the Berserker promise that can't ever be broken." He grasped Heather's arm firmly. Then he turned, mounted Shattermaster and flew off. Heather and Hiccup mounted their dragons and took off. Tenor followed with the Gronkles. They flew back towards Eruptadon Island.

"I should get these Gronkles to Dark Deep," Tenor said. "You can head back to the other riders."

"Ok, thanks for your help today Tenor," Hiccup said.

"You're welcome," Tenor said. "Please tell Serenity where I went and that I'll be back soon."

"Sure," said Heather. "Don't you worry about her." Tenor let out a call over his shoulder at the Gronkles. He separated from the two riders and the Gronkles followed. The two riders continued onward towards the volcano.

When they saw it the headed in for landing. Hiccup suddenly noticed Heather was deep in thought. Hiccup pulled Toothless beside her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Heather said.

"He'll be back," Hiccup said. "That Berserker handshake thing, that's serious business." Heather smiled at him. Just then there came a commotion from the island.

"It's coming form the volcano," said Heather.

"Well, that's not a good sign," said Hiccup. The two dragons sped up.

They found everyone in the plaza. Mala was sitting in her throne. The Eruptadon stood near the throne next to the Draconians. Skywalker hovered over the throne. Hiccup and Heather landed their dragons next to Astrid and dismounted. Hiccup approached Astrid.

"What's going on? Please tell me Snotlout's still alive," he said.

"Oh, he's alive," said Astrid. "And if he passes his next trial, he'll be king."

"I thought you guys were supposed to..." Hiccup said.

"We were," said Astrid. "But Snotlout's ego put a kink in our plans." Everyone turned to watch Snotlout. He was preparing himself for the final task. Throck held a bow and arrow. Snotlout stepped forward.

"So, what do you got for me?" he asked. "Spiders, Whispering Death, Screaming Death. I'm ready."

"Nothing too challenging Snotlout," said Throck. He turned around and aimed the bow and arrow at Mala.

"Whoa you think it's a good idea to be pointing that at the queen?" said Snotlout. "Cause it would look so bad for you if you slip up and accidentally let go of that arrow."

"That's why you're going to take the arrow for her," said Throck. "You final task is to rush Queen Mala and allow this arrow to pierce you flesh instead of hers. If you survive, you'll be her king." Two guards ushered Snotlout up to stand next to the throne. Throck aimed the arrow again. Everyone held their breath. Snotlout jumped between the arrow and Mala. But before Throck could fire, Toothless pretended to sneeze and fired a plasma blast that hit the ground near the Eruptadon. The bigger dragon snarled in surprise. This distracted Throck and he fired the arrow before he meant to. It sailed towards Snotlout. But he fell to the ground and the arrow missed him. It sailed towards Mala, who caught it before it hit her. It all happened so fast that afterwards everyone was slightly stunned. Snotlout sat up and looked around.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It's over," said Mala.

"Did I win?" asked Snotlout.

"No," said Mala. "Unfortunately not."

"What?" said Snotlout. "It's not my fault this guy's a lousy shot." He pointed at Throck.

"We do not consider the reason for failure, only that it happened," said Mala calmly.

"So you mean I walked on lava and fought giant eels, and I come up shore because this guy can't shoot strait?" said Snotlout, pointing at Throck again.

"Yes," said Mala. She got up and approached him. Snotlout looked extremely disappointed. "But if it's any consolation I too am crestfallen."

"Oh," said Snotlout, surprised. "I guess that makes it better."

"Come Snotlout," said Mala. "In honor of your bravery and valor, tonight you will be my guest of honor." All the rider breathed a sigh of relief.

"Huh, king for a day," said Fishlegs. "Not bad." Everyone left the plaza. Throck turned to Serenity. He held his hand out to her.

"Will you join me tonight?" he asked. Serenity smiled, looking a bit surprised. She looked at her king and queen, who both nodded their approval. She then took his hand and they followed everyone else.


	6. Dire Straits

Dire Straits

After a successful week of fighting dragon hunters and freeing the hunted dragons, the dragon riders were taking some time off. Serenity and Tenor were able to go flying again, vacating the ship for a while. Hiccup and Fishlegs were working with the Night Terrors, seeing how many different dragons they could form into. It was going very smoothly. But it was suddenly interrupted by Stoic flying towards them on Skullcrusher. Serenity and Tenor were passing by at that moment as well, and pulled to a stop as Stoic pulled up along side them. The Night Terrors scattered.

"Guys there's trouble back on Berk," Stoic informed them. "We need you to come back." Hiccup and Fishlegs exchanged a worried glance. Then they went back to the base and got the other riders and dragons. Serenity quickly got the ship moving, and they set out for Berk.

When they got there they found everyone looking rather miserable. There were Draconian dragons flying about carrying nets full of fish. Re and Aurora were in the plaza distributing the fish. Serenity pulled the ship to a stop over the plaza.

"What happened here?" asked Hiccup.

"The trade ships haven't been able get through the straits," said Stoic. "Something's keeling them away. Our previsions are running low. The Draconians have been bringing in fish from the sea, but they're able to find fewer fish every time. If those trade ships don't get here soon, our food will run out." They landed beside Re and Aurora. The riders helped distribute food. Stoic and Hiccup came up beside Re.

"How are things looking Re?" Stoic asked. Re handed the fish in mouth to woman before answering.

"Ok for now," he said. "Our dragons have are bringing in as much fish as they can, but the fish is getting smaller and fewer."

"We should discuss this inside now that the riders are here," said Stoic. Re looked at Aurora.

"You go, I'll continue with this," she said, gesturing to the pile of fish behind her.

"Get Tenor and Serenity to help," Re said as he walked off. He followed Stoic up to his house with Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Toothless.

Inside they gathered around the table. Re lit the fire and sat down on the floor beside Toothless.

"We've sent scout ships to that area," said Stoic. "But non have returned."

"That area has been know for having a lot of Scauldrons," said Fishlegs.

"The auxiliary riders and my scouts have checked out that area as well," Re said. "They've reported calm seas. They've seen no rouge Scauldron. They've seen no hunters either." Hiccup exchanged a glance with Fishlegs.

"We will check it out," said Hiccup.

"I'll send one of my dragons with you," Re said. They got up and went back outside. While Hiccup gathered up the other riders and their dragons, Re went up to a dragon that was the color of desert sand with small black spots down her back. Her grey chrome head plate had a black G clef symbol on the forehead.

"Alto, I need you to go with Tenor and the riders to check out the straits," Re said. Alto looked irritated.

"But Re, you know Tenor and I don't work very well together," she said.

"Don't argue," Re said. "We have bigger things to worry about." Alto glowered but didn't argue further. She went over to the group where Tenor was talking with the riders. They turned to acknowledge her.

"Hello Alto," Tenor said. Alto just snorted at him.

"Looks like I'm joining you," she said, still glaring at Tenor.

"Great, we're heading out immediately," said Hiccup. The riders mounted up and took off. Tenor and Alto followed.

As they headed towards the straits, Alto kept giving Tenor the death glare, which he ignored. They arrived at the straits and found calm sees just as Re had said.

"I hate to point out the obvious," said Snotlout. "But you do realize you're just staring at water right?"

"I don't see anything that could be keeping the trade ships away," said Hiccup. "So what could be keeping them?"

"Look there," said Astrid. She pointed towards the water. They looked down at the water again. A young green Scauldron surfaced. "That could be our culprit."

"He's young that one," said Alto, dropping her death glare for the moment.

"Well lets go back and get some nets," said Hiccup. "Then it's just a good old fashioned relocating." But just as they were about to leave a stream of bubbles came towards the Scauldron.

"Look, I think he might have a friend," said Astrid. Just then a mondo whirlpool opened up and sucked in everything close by. The dragons tried to fly away, but the suction was too strong. They tried to fire at the whirlpool but do no effect. Hiccup thought hard. Alto was in danger of being pulled into the funnel. Tenor pumped his wings harder and managed to pull free. He rammed Alto out of the way. Then Hiccup got an idea.

"Everyone fire into the mouth," he ordered. The dragons obeyed and concentrated their fire into the very center of the funnel. The whirlpool closed up and everyone managed to not be pulled in, including the Scauldron. The riders took a moment to catch their breath.

"What was that?" asked Astrid. "A sea monster?"

"That was no sea monster," said Hiccup. "That was a highly dangerous tidal class dragon. The Subbmaripper. I've only read about them in the Book of Dragons, but I've never actually seen one."

"Oh, I know about them," Tenor said. "They're one of Shark's most highly trusted cohorts."

"But what would a Subbmaripper be doing in such shallow water?" asked Fishlegs. "They usually prefer deeper water."

"I don't know," said Hiccup. "What I do know is that we have a short tempered, and highly territorial dragon on our hands, and we need to get it out of here." The riders turned their dragons around and headed back to Berk.

When they got back they found that the food was running dangerously low. The Draconians only had a few fish left. Stoic was hovering over the plaza on Skullcrusher. The riders pulled up beside him.

"How are things going?" Hiccup asked.

"If the trade routes aren't open soon our previsions will run out," Stoic said sadly. "And we won't be able to feed our people. Our Draconian allies are doing all they can, but they're running out of food as well." Hiccup turned to his fellow riders.

"Heather, Ruff, and Tuff, help gather previsions," he said. "Fishlegs, help feed the village. Astrid, Snotlout and Tenor, we're going back to the straits. We have a Subbmaripper to remove." The riders separated. Hiccup quickly grabbed something from the forge, then he and the other three headed back out to the straits. Alto went to tell Re and Aurora what they'd found.

When the three riders and Tenor reached the straits again. The water was calm again, indicating the Ripper was asleep. Hiccup distributed special goggles to Astrid and Snotlout.

"These should help us see underwater," he said.

"Death Song amber goggles?" said Astrid, recognizing the transparent brown substance. All three riders put the goggles on.

"Once we dive down, we'll drive the Submaripper out to open water and away from the trade routes," Hiccup explained. They dove into the water and swam down to the bottom. At once they saw the Submaripper. It looked like a green salamander the size of a bull Humpbacked Whale. It was sleeping next to an underwater sea stack. The riders and dragons swam up to it. When they were close enough, the dragons fired at the Ripper's feet. It opened its tiny blue eyes and spotted them. Irritated he turned around and opened his huge. He sucked in a huge vortex of water. The riders and dragons felt the suction, but managed to avoid being pulled in. The dragons started to swim back towards the surface. But as they left Hiccup spotted silver out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw thick, dragonproof chains wrapped around the Ripper's hind legs and tail. The dragons flew out of the water and hovered over it. The riders took a minuet to catch their breath. Then Astrid spotted the troubled look on Hiccup's face.

"What's wrong Hiccup?" she asked.

"The Submaripper didn't wander into the straits," Hiccup said. "It was chained here."

"Chained here?" said Astrid, horrified.

"With dragon proof chains," said Hiccup. "And there's only one person we know who's capable of this." The dragons turned around and headed back to Berk.

When they got there, they told the other riders, Re, and Aurora the new things they'd discovered.

"Viggo!" said Fishlegs, horrified.

"I don't know how he did it," Hiccup said. "But this is a warning. He's telling me to back off or Berk will suffer the consciences." He handed a small child an apple. He was deep in thought. Heather and the Twins carried huge baskets of golden apples from Serenity's tree, and began handing them out.

"Looks like we're going to have to stop our raids of the hunters," said Hiccup. Re opened his mouth to protest, but Fishlegs spoke first.

"Or remove the Submaripper," he said.

"We can't hold our breath long enough," said Hiccup. "And we'd need a way to cut the chains." Fishlegs suddenly smiled.

"Let me worry about cutting the chains," he said. "You worry about getting deeper." He turned and flew off on Meatlug. Hiccup went towards the forge with Toothless.

Fishlegs found Serenity near Skywalker's ladder, also distributing golden apples. She looked up when Fishlegs approached her.

"Hey Serenity, can I ask a favor?" he asked.

"What can I do for you?" Serenity asked.

"Do you think you can go to Changewing Island and get me some Changewing acid?" Fishlegs asked. Serenity smiled.

"Sure," she said. She handed him the basket, and he took over passing out apples. Serenity found Tenor and gathered up several bottles to hold the acid. They took off and headed to Changwing Island.

After conducting a few underwater experiments, which all failed, Hiccup helped get food for the village. His mind was still working on how to stay underwater for longer. A few hours later while spooning soup into people's bowels. Suddenly Fishlegs approached him excitedly.

"Hiccup, I've found a way to cut the chains," he said. Hiccup gave him his full attention. They went into the forge where Fishlegs had a bucket filled with water, and a dragon proof chain at the bottom. Fishlegs picked up one of the bottles that Serenity had brought him. He opened it and poured the acid into the water. When it hit the chain, it was severed. Hiccup beamed.

"Brilliant Fishlegs," he said.

"Changewing acid," said Fishlegs. "How goes the free diving?"

"No matter what I do I can't hold my breath long enough," said Hiccup.

"It would appear that you need a way to submerge yourself without having to breathe," said Tuffnut, who happened to be standing there with Ruffnut. "Something to keep the air in."

"But said water out," said Ruffnut, putting a cauldron on her head. Hiccup glanced around. He then spotted a larger cauldron, big enough to hold a single human. He smiled again.

He got to work on the cauldron. He turned it into a capsule designed to go deep underwater, while holding air. When he finished updating it, he attached it via chain to a small crane. When it was all finished, he showed Fishlegs.

"That's Gobber's old smelting cauldron," said Fishlegs.

"Essentially," said Hiccup. "With some added Gronkle iron reinforcements and Death Song amber to see out off that will keep the air in and water out. When it hits the sea floor, I exit out here." he pointed to the bottom of the capsule, between the capsule's four iron legs.

"That's impressive," said Fishlegs.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said Hiccup, pulling out his Death Song goggles. Toothless was nervous about this. The capsule looked very heavy and the amber in the port hole looked very thin. He ran between Hiccup and the capsule, giving a worried moan.

"It's okay Toothless," Hiccup assured him. "I'll be fine." Toothless reluctantly stepped aside. Hiccup put the goggles on and entered the capsule. Inside was a bench and a chain that was attached to a small bell on the top of the crane. Hiccup looked through the port hole at Fishlegs.

"If I pull the chain once that means I've reached the bottom," he instructed. "Two tugs means somethings wrong, pull me up."

"One tug good, two tugs bad," Fishlegs repeated. "Got it." He then used the crane to lift the capsule off the pier and into the water. Once it vanished Toothless began pacing anxiously. Inside the capsule, Hiccup sat on the bench holding his breath. The capsule's walls did indeed keep the air in and water out. Hiccup was just starting to relax when the port hole cracked under the pressure. It broke and water rushed in. Hiccup gave the chain two panicked tugs. At once he felt the capsule head back towards surface. It rose out of the water and rested back on the pier, tipping onto it's side. Toothless pulled Hiccup out of the capsule. Hiccup took a few minuets to catch his breath. Then he spoke.

"It needs some tweaking," he said hoarsely.

They flew the capsule back up to the forge. Hiccup spent the rest of the day fixing it. Fishlegs approached Re and Aurora. The king and queen had watched the activity with the capsule from the cliffs.

"Hey Re, do you think we can use your airship to carry the capsule to the straits?" Fishlegs asked. Re exchanged a glance with Aurora. They talked in Dragontongue for a few minuets, then turned back to Fishlegs.

"Unfortunately that capsule is much too heavy for the airship," Re said. "But it would be a good idea to have the airship around in case something goes wrong."

"Okay, thanks," said Fishlegs. He and Meatlug left.

Hiccup spent all day working on the capsule. It was well passed dark by the time it was ready for another run. Hiccup and Toothless carried the capsule back down to the pier to attach it to the crane. Fishlegs and Meatlug were waiting. They had just finished attaching it to the crane when Astrid and Heather their dragons beside them.

"Hiccup, Snotlout and the Twins just headed out to Storehouse Island," said Astrid. "For the last of the rations." Hiccup worried now.

"I still have to take this up to Lars Lake for one finale test run," he said, patting the side of the capsule. He saw the looks on everyone face, indicating that they had no time. "Okay no more time. Lets get this loaded up and we'll head to the straits as soon as Snotlout and the Twins get back.

They got the capsule and crane loaded onto a small ship. Hiccup went up to the airship and asked Serenity to get it ready. She didn't hesitate and got the ship fired up. Tenor would be the only Draconian dragon going along, as all the others were staying behind to help with the food crisis. They talked about finding the trade ships and leading them down a longer, yet safer route for them to get to Berk.

When Snotlout and the Twins came back with the food, everyone set out. The dragons carried the ship with the capsule on it towards the straits. Skywalker flew beside it, staying low. The sun came up as they lost sight of Berk.

They soon reached the straits and set the ship down over the spot where the Ripper was sleeping. The dragons landed on the deck. Skywalker pulled to a stop nearby. Hiccup reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a special helmet he'd made from spare capsule parts that would help him see and breathe outside the capsule, and one of Toothless's old tail fins to help propel him through the water.

"Okay we need to act fast," he said. "I need to get down there and free the Ripper before it realizes we're here."

"And how it Toothless's tail supposed to help?" asked Snotlout.

"Well, I'm not much of a swimmer," Hiccup admitted. He went over to Astrid and Fishlegs. Fishlegs handed him the bottles of Changewing acid Serenity had brought back from Changewing Island.

"Now, don't pull me up until I tug the chain twice," Hiccup instructed. "No matter what." Before anyone could protest, Hiccup climbed into the capsule. Fishlegs used the crane to lift the capsule up and over the side of the boat. When it was right above the water, it was lowered in. Hiccup watched the water sail passed the port hole. He heard the sound of water pounding on the side, but it stay out. Hiccup held his breath. But all too soon, he felt the capsule hit the sea bed. He sighed with relief and tugged the chain once, telling them that he'd made it. He attached the tail fin to his metal leg, put on his helmet, and grabbed the first bottle. He dove into the water, and swam over to the Ripper. The big dragon was very still. Hiccup approached the first chain wrapped around the dragon's leg. He opened the bottle and dumped the acid onto the chain, severing it. Having done that Hiccup swam back to the capsule. He entered it and stood on the bench. He tugged the chain once.

Up on the ship the tug was registered through the small bell.

"Yes!" Fishlegs exclaimed. "Once chain done." But Astrid spotted another ship heading towards them.

"Um, guys," she shouted. They all looked to see Viggo's ship speeding towards them.

"Oh no," Fishlegs panicked. "The vibrations from his ship, and the Submaripper."

"Don't worry," said Astrid. "He won't get into the straits." She, Snotlout, Heather, and the Twins mounted their dragons and headed out to meat the hunting ship. Tenor took off from Skywalker and joined them. As they approached the hunters, boulders were shot at them. But instead of hitting them however, they splashed into the water.

"Look at those dopes, they can't even shoot straight," laughed Ruffnut. "Those are no where near us."

"That's because they're not trying to hit us," said Astrid.

"Well that seems counter productive," said Tuffnut, confused.

"Not unless they're trying to wake up the Submaripper instead," said Astrid. "We need to get back and get Hiccup out of there now." The riders turned their dragons around and headed back to their boat. The hunters continued to fire boulders into the water. They sank to the bottom. At first little happened. Hiccup was swimming towards the second chain with a new bottle of acid. He barely noticed the boulders. He approached the chain and severed it as well with the acid. Confident now, he swam back into the capsule. He gave the chain a single tug, grabbed the last bottle of acid, and dived back into the water.

The riders landed on the deck and dismounted.

"We need to pull Hiccup up now," Astrid demanded.

"But it's too early," Fishlegs protested. Toothless snarled at him. "Oh, okay. Meatlug, wench." Meatlug pulled the leaver and the crane began pulling the capsule back up. Bellow Hiccup didn't see the capsule heading back up, and headed towards the last chain wrapped around the Ripper's tail. Rocks from the hunter's ship began falling all around, and this did indeed wake up the big dragon. He opened his eyes and glanced around. It didn't take him long to discover Hiccup. He roared in outrage and snapped his jaws at the tiny human. He missed as the tail fin helped Hiccup swim out of the way quickly. When that didn't work, the Ripper opened his mouth wide and sucked in a vortex of water. Hiccup was being pulled towards the gapping mouth, but managed to snag a boulder. He hung on for his life.

Above, the water opened into a massive whirlpool that was dangerously close to the ship. Fishlegs grabbed the helm and tried to steer the ship away, but the ship had no sail and was being held in place by the capsule, which acted as an anchor. The dragons took off and grabbed the ship in their talons. Serenity lassoed a big chain around the ship's prow. She turned the airship around and also helped pulled the smaller boat away.

Bellow, Hiccup could feel his grip on the boulder getting weaker. He spotted the capsule being blown about as though it had been caught in a strong wind. I knocked into a nearby shipwreck. The ship was sucked into the big dragon's mouth, and that made him stop sucking in water. Hiccup began swimming towards the Ripper's tail. But unfortunately the Ripper spotted him and dislodged the shipwreck from his mouth. He created another whirlpool and Hiccup again found himself clinging to another boulder. But he got an idea, since he didn't see anything else to lodge in the dragon's mouth. He let go of the boulder and was pulled towards the open mouth. But he put on a burst of speed last minuet, and shot up and over the Ripper's head. Hiccup swam towards his tail, and finally managed to sever the last chain. He quickly swam back towards the capsule. He now realized that it was being pulled back up. He glared at this. Suddenly the Ripper felt that his tail had been freed and gave it a slap, sending a strong current into Hiccup. He shot towards the capsule and managed to climb inside.

Above, the riders watched the chain pulling up the capsule. Suddenly Fishlegs pointed to the water.

"Guys look," he said. They followed his gaze. The stream of bubbles that had been caused by the commotion bellow, stop suddenly. Everyone cheered, knowing that this meant the Submaripper had been freed. They watched the capsule being pulled towards the surface. But the hunting ship had gotten closer to them, and now fired at their boat. One of the boulders hit the crane; knocking it over and breaking the chain. Toothless grabbed the chain, and was pulled back into the water along with the capsule.

"NO!" cried Astrid. They all looked over the edge of the boat, seeing nothing. "This is bad."

"And I think it's about to get worse," Tenor said. He pointed to a tall, black fin cutting through the water towards them. It was the giant, black sea dragon Shark. She had no doubt heard that one of her Submarippers was in trouble, and had come to investigate. She swam over to the Ripper, who was still in the area.

Hiccup, meanwhile, panicked as the capsule sank back towards the sea bed. The capsule's legs had been bent, so when it hit the sea bed it rested on Hiccup's only exit. Toothless swam in frantic circles. He kept blasting the capsule, hopping to tip it over and free his rider. But it wouldn't budge. To make matters worse, water flooded the capsule. Toothless soon ran out of shots. He looked at his rider through the port hole.

"Go bud, save yourself," Hiccup said. But Toothless stayed where he was, and placed his nose on the port hole. Hiccup saw the sad, hopeless look in Toothless's eyes. They both knew there was nothing they could do. Hiccup gave Toothless a small smiled. "I know, I wouldn't leave you either." That was the last thing he said before the water covered his head. Even though he was slowly drowning, he felt peaceful knowing he wasn't alone.

The Ripper watched this from a short distance. Just then Shark pulled up beside him.

"My queen, you're here!" he said delighted.

"Are you alright?" Shark asked.

"Yes ma'am," the Ripper said. "The dragon hunters chained me here. But then this small human came down and freed me." He looked back at the capsule. "He's now trapped in that metal thing. That Night Fury seems scared." Shark looked at the capsule.

"You must repay your dept," Shark said.

"I was just about to ma'am," the Ripper said.

"Hurry, that human won't last much longer," Shark said. The Ripper swam towards the capsule. Toothless turned around and growled protectively.

"Step aside Night Fury," the Ripper said. "I can help your human friend." He then grasped the capsule in his jaws and swam off. Shark came up shortly behind him and allowed Toothless to grab hold. The two sea dragons swam towards the surface as fast as they could.

Soon the Ripper breached out of the water, dropped the capsule onto Skywalker's deck (which was closest), then dove back into the water. Shark then launched out of the water and landed swanlike on the surface. She allowed Toothless to crawl up her neck and onto the airship. Astrid, Fishlegs, and the Twins flew onto Skywalker's deck as well. Astrid looked through the capsule's port hole. Hiccup lay on the bench, not moving.

"We have to get him out of there," she said, panicking. Barf and Belch wedged a crowbar between the capsule's bent legs. They then pulled on the crowbar, wrenching the legs apart and allowing Toothless to pull Hiccup out more easily. Astrid knelt beside him, he wasn't breathing.

"Hiccup," she called. "Come on Hiccup, please breathe." Nothing. Toothless nudged Hiccup and licked his face. This was enough to rouse him. He coughed water out of his lungs and sat up. Toothless glanced up to the two sea dragons.

"Thank you," he called. Both sea dragons roared back. Hiccup glanced around, confused.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Viggo happened," said Fishlegs angrily. He pointed to the hunting ship nearby. Hiccup jumped to his feet, but found standing a bit difficult. His legs wouldn't support him and he still had the red tail fin on.

"No," he panted, clutching Toothless's saddle. "He can't escape again." Fishlegs had to hold Hiccup up right, making sure he didn't fall over again.

"Easy Hiccup, I got you," Fishlegs said.

"Don't worry, he won't get far," said Astrid. The rest of the riders mounted their dragons and flew at the hunters again. Both Tenor and Shark joined them. Since the airship didn't have it's crew, so it's weapons were useless. But it didn't matter because as the riders and dragons approached the hunting ship they spotted Viggo and Ryker sailing away in a small rowboat.

"Come on guys now's our chance," said Astrid. All the dragons readied for a fight, but then Astrid spotted two Sea Shockers tethered to the rowboat.

"Sea Shockers," Astrid said. "Hold your fire, we can't risk hitting those dragons." So no one fired. Shark stopped as well, not wanting to harm her subject. She growled and followed the riders back towards the two ships. The riders landed on the smaller boat and Tenor landed on Skywalker. Shark rejoined the Ripper. The riders had no choice but to let Viggo and Ryker get away. They all headed back to Berk, having cleared the trade routes at least.

Shark and the Ripper swam out towards deeper water. Shark had her usual pilot fish of Scauldrons and Sea Shockers flanking her.

"It's good that that little human made it out," the Ripper said.

"Indeed," Shark said. "I remember that human. He stood up for me once. I can't ever forget that."

"What will we do about these hunters?" the Ripper asked.

"These hunters are proving very tricky to defeat," Shark said. "My fellow royals will have things handled for now. But I will have to combine forces with the creatures I've always despised. I will do it for the sake of my fellow dragons and for my ocean."

"What are you going to do now?" asked the Ripper.

"I'm going to head north," Shark said. "Trouble's brewing up there."

"What sort of trouble?" asked the Ripper.

"Two armies of dragons are being formed," Shark said. "And sooner or later, they will fight.

"Should we stop it?" asked the Ripper.

"Draco doesn't want me to interfere," Shark said. "Just observe. He says he has big plans for that Night Fury, plans that cannot take place unless these two armies fight."

"Should I come with you?" asked Ripper.

"You can do whatever you like," Shark said. "Just don't get into anymore trouble."

"I will see you later then," the Ripper said. He and Shark separated and went their own ways. Shark turned north and swam deeper into the sea.

Hiccup and the riders returned to Berk. The Draconians had successfully found the trade ships and escorted them to Berk. Once the ships got there, the villagers didn't hesitate in bringing in the much welcomed previsions, with help from the dragons. It was all being overseen by Hiccup, Stoic, and Re.

"This all my fault," said Hiccup. "If Viggo wasn't trying to get at me, Berk would never have lost it's gold." Stoic looked at him.

"And Berk never would have been saved if it weren't for you," Stoic said. "Your foe showed his true nature. Only a cowered would endanger innocent women and children. In my opinion bravery will always triumph over cowardice. You agree Re?"

"With all the crime Viggo's done, karma's going to come down on him like a mountain," Re said. He turned and went to find his comrades. Hiccup and Stoic went to get the next load of food.


	7. The Longest Day

The Longest Day

The Archipelago was facing it's longest day. It was the Midnight Sun, two straight weeks of sunlight. The Vikings were getting as much work done as they could before the sun set again in a few days. The dragons helped out, since they could go longer without sleep than the humans could and knew the lack of sleep would catch up to them eventually. The work was being overseen by Stoic, Hiccup, Gobber, and Re. Hiccup glanced up at the sun.

"Hard to believe it's the middle of the night," he said.

"I love the Midnight Sun," said Stoic. "Constant sunlight for two whole weeks. Our most productive time of the year." Just then two guys started arguing and Stoic had to go break it up.

"In the first week," said Gobber. "But we're in day eight, where things start to get a wee bit crazy. Lack of sleep get to all of us eventually."

"Not us dragons," Re said. "We can go a whole three weeks without sleep, and this constant sunlight only lasts two."

"Mark my words the lack of sleep will make us all crazy, even you young'ens," said Gobber, pointing to Hiccup.

"That's why I sent Astrid and the others back to the Edge to do the simplest job," said Hiccup. "Wash their dragons. There's no way they can mess that up."

Back on the Edge the riders were trying to wash their dragons, but after being up for so long they could barely walk or think straight. The dragons weren't feeling the least bit sleepy. They watched their riders stumble around the arena, not behaving like themselves. Tenor was among them. Windshear watched as Heather fell over trying to get the dragon wet.

"This is getting so weird," Windshear said to the others.

"I know," said Stormfly. "Something tells me we're not getting a wash today."

"You mean tonight," said Windshear.

"Whatever," said Stormfly. She looked over at Tenor who was sleeping just outside the arena. He'd been extremely grouchy ever since the Midnight Sun had started. Everyone knew he wanted the stars and moon to return. He hadn't gone fishing for several days, all he did was sleep or walk around aimlessly.

"Poor Tenor, he must miss his stars," Windshear said.

"He feels he can't hunt or fish until the sun goes down," Stormfly said. "And that's not for another week."

"Maybe when Serenity comes back she'll help him feel better," said Windshear. "That is what she's good at." Just then Heather accidentally dumped more water on Windshear's head.

Back on Berk, on Skywalker's deck, Serenity sat in her chair. She waited to escort Hiccup and Toothless back to the Edge. The ship's crew was down bellow asleep. Serenity had just taken a nap. Just then Ruby came up to join her. Serenity smiled.

"Aren't you tired?" Ruby asked.

"I just took a nap," Serenity said. "I'm fine. Though I am worried about Tenor. He's never gone this long without the moon and stars."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Ruby said. "It's not like the sunlight's going to kill him." Serenity stroked his snout and he nuzzled her.

"Are you tired at all?" she asked him.

"No," Ruby said. "I just woke up." He yawned and stretched his red wings. Serenity hugged him.

"Perhaps we can go flying," she suggested. Ruby stood back a bit.

"It's not safe to fly out there right now," he said. "Viggo's still after you." Serenity leaned back in her chair, and sighed.

"Could we just walk then?" she asked. "Around the village?" Ruby considered.

"All right," he said. "As long as we stay within sight of the village." He spread is wings and glided to the plaza bellow. Serenity climbed down the ladder after him. She jumped off the ladder right onto Ruby's back. Ruby turned away and walked off.

Inside Hiccup's house, Toothless was dozing off by the fire. Hiccup and Stoic were eating what was supposed to be dinner, but with the sun so high in the sky still it might as well be lunch. Hiccup finished his chicken then looked at Stoic.

"So Dad, I need to borrow the auxiliary riders," said Hiccup.

"Why?" asked Stoic casually, not even looking up.

"Oh, just to brush up on their training," Hiccup said, failing to sound just as casual.

"Ah, I see," Stoic said. Hiccup stretched and got up.

"Thanks dad," he said and hurried towards the door.

"Just one little thing son," Stoic said.

"Oh?" Hiccup said. He turned back around.

"Let me just say you are a terrible lier," Stoic said.

"Not sure I follow," Hiccup lied.

"I think you follow just fine," said Stoic. "We both know you want go after Viggo." Hiccup glared, and didn't speak for a few seconds.

"Ok fine," he admitted. "But can you blame me. He's tried to kill innocent people and dragons. He went after Berk. He has to pay for that." Stoic swallowed a mouthful of chicken before answering.

"Ok, lets say I agree," he said. "Lets hear your plan."

"My plan?" Hiccup stammered. "Wipe Viggo and his dragon hunting scum off the face of the Earth, kaboom!"

"Kaboom huh?" said Stoic. "Interesting not very many moving parts, much planning in your plan."

"Who needs planning, we have dragons," Hiccup said.

"So this basically boils down to revenge," said Stoic.

"See, I knew you'd understand," said Hiccup. He turned to leave again, but Stoic cleared his throat.

"Hiccup, there'll be no revenge on Viggo Grimborne," Stoic said sternly. Hiccup shut the door.

"What? You love revenge," he said. "Revenge is your thing. Weren't they going to call you Stoic the Vindictive instead of..."

"Eh, keep my weight out of this," Stoic demanded.

"Look if anyone deserves it, Viggo does," Hiccup said.

"Yes, but what comes after that?" asked Stoic getting to his feet. "Viggo's revenge, then our revenge on his revenge. It's pointless son."

"Viggo has the Dragon Eye," Hiccup argued. "He's used it capture and kill hundreds of dragons."

"Ah, so it's the Dragon Eye you want," said Stoic.

"Yeah I guess it is," said Hiccup. "But a little revenge could go a long way."

"I won't lie," Stoic said. "A bit of vengeance can go down a treat. But the feeling is short lived, and the violence only gets worse. I agree we must retrieve the Dragon Eye. But come back to me when you have a plan to do that, and that alone." Having no further argument to this, Hiccup turned and left the house with Toothless following.

Hiccup walked into the plaza. He looked up at the airship. Neither Re nor Aurora were around, and Tenor was back on the Edge. He turned to Toothless.

"I'm sure Re won't mind if I borrowed his ship," he said. "I'll ask the crew." He climbed up the ladder, and Toothless flew up onto the deck. They went down bellow where the ship's crew was just waking up.

"Hey guys," Hiccup said.

"Hello," said Heddrod. "What brings you down here?"

"I want to go after Viggo," Hiccup said. "At once." The dragons exchanged a glance.

"You sure you want to be fighting Viggo in your condition?" asked Viper.

"Is that a reference to my leg?" asked Hiccup.

"No, that's a reference to you not having slept for so long," Viper said. "You're going to get yourself killed going after Viggo with no plan."

"I have a plan," said Hiccup. All the dragons narrowed their eyes.

"Oh you do," said Phoenix. "Let's hear it then."

"Simple," said Hiccup. "Wipe Viggo and the hunters off the face of the Earth."

"Um, that's not a plan," said Morpho. "That's a goal. And it's a goal we're all for. But, impossible to achieve without a plan."

"I plan to use this ship," said Hiccup, though he already knew he'd lost this argument too.

"How?" asked Morpho. "Let's face it you have no plan, just fly into Viggo's ship like a kamikaze. We'll escort you back to the Edge, but that's it."

"Fine," Hiccup grumbled. "But if we see Viggo's hunters in route, we'll attack."

"Like I said, kamikaze," Morpho said. "Come Toothless, let's get this one to bed."

"I agree," Toothless said. "The lack of sleep is defiantly getting to him." They all went back up. Serenity and Ruby had returned by now.

"Serenity, we're going back to the Edge," Morpho said. Serenity beamed and went to her post. Hiccup mounted Toothless and took off. Serenity steered the ship after them.

They headed away from Berk and headed for Dragon's Edge. Hiccup pouted the whole way. For a while no one spoke. Serenity sang a little, but that was the only sound apart from wings beats and the fire in the balloon. Ruby sat beside his ward and listened to her songs.

After a while, Hiccup spoke.

"You know what guys, why am I even asking for permission?" he said. "It's my war against Viggo. My dad just doesn't get me." The Draconians exchanged a glance.

"Okay, he's starting to scare me," said Viper in Dragontongue.

"It's the insomnia talking I thing," said Morpho.

"The sooner we get to the Edge the better," Toothless said. Suddenly there came a loud screech from bellow. Toothless stopped and spun round.

"Whoa what is it bud?" Hiccup asked. The screech came again, answering the question. "Oh, it sounds like a dragon in trouble. I must be tired, I totally missed it." They headed towards a nearby island. Serenity flew the ship after them and pulled it to a stop over the beach. The sand was littered with dragon hunter equipment. Toothless landed beside the overturned ship. Serenity got off her chair and went down to the main deck and stood beside her friends.

"Dragon hunters," Hiccup said. There came more screeching. They followed the sound and discovered a small blue and green dragon laying on the sand squirming. It was about the size of a large wolf and had a very round head.

"What's the matter with him?" asked Serenity.

"I don't know, maybe nothing," said Viper.

"Doesn't look like nothing," Serenity said. "I'll go get my bag."

"Hold on a second," Viper said. "We'll go see what's going on. I'll call you if we need you." She spread her wings and flew down to join Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup approached the smaller dragon.

"Watch my back," he said. He turned back to the smaller dragon. "Hey it's okay. Whatever it was it's over now." The dragon didn't answer, but kept writhing. He seemed to be favoring his left wing. "Oh, is your wing hurt? We can fix that." Suddenly Toothless growled alerting Hiccup to at least three more blue green dragons emerging out of the shrubs. They growled and ran towards Hiccup and Toothless. Toothless growled back. The three dragons charged at them, but Toothless knocked them back with a plasma blast. Then the first dragon got to his feet.

"Hey, you're not hurt," said Hiccup. The first dragon snapped his jaws at him. Toothless jumped over Hiccup and readied another blast. He stared the smaller dragon down. He backed towards his fellows. Toothless was about to fire, but Hiccup stopped him.

"No bud," he said. "They're scared, and just trying to protect their friend." Toothless swallowed his blast, but still growled. The four dragons growled at them, then turned and ran off. Toothless relaxed a bit.

"Thanks for having my back," Hiccup said. "My reflexes seem to be slower than normal." Toothless snorted. Hiccup stared after the wild dragons and Toothless could almost read his mind. He roared at him, sounding very disapproving. "Oh come on, you know we're going after those guys. We have to help them."

"Um, I think they've made it very clear that they don't need any help," Viper said.

"I want to check it out anyway," Hiccup said. Viper sighed.

"We'll watch from the air," she said. "Call us if you need back up."

"Thanks, but we'll be fine," Hiccup said. Viper looked at Toothless for a second opinion.

"I'll keep us both out of trouble," Toothless said. "I've dealt with this particular species before."

"Very well," Viper said. "Just don't let you're guard down. I've read about these dragons. They always have a plan, learn quickly and have been known to be smarter then even the smartest human. I doubt even Viggo would be able to outsmart them." She spread her wings and flew back onto Skywalker's deck.

"Good call Viper," Serenity said. "It's a good thing you stopped me from going down there."

"I've read about these dragons too," Morpho said. "The books call them Wolf Dragons, because they hunt in packs like wolves, and their behavior is very similar to wolves. They are one of the only species of dragons that eat humans. Hiccup will come up with a different name for them naturally."

"But if these guys are like wolves, where's their alpha?" Serenity asked. Morpho looked up at the sky.

"That," he said. "Is an excellent question. We should get this ship up higher, their alpha won't be far." Serenity went back to her chair. She fired up the ship and steered it towards the island's highest peak. Just as she pulled it to a stop again, a red Hermes Dragon flew up to her carrying something round in her talons, that was covered with a cloth. She handed the item to Serenity who took it.

"Thank you," she said. She pulled out a small scroll and tied it to the dragon's horn. "Please take this back to Steel." The Hermes Dragon nodded then took off. The other Draconians looked curious.

"What's that?" Phoenix asked.

"It's a present for Tenor," Serenity said. "This constant sunlight is getting to him. I'm hoping this will cheer him up a bit."

"But what is it?" asked Viper.

"Come downstairs, I'll show you," Serenity said.

"Ruby, you say out here and keep an eye out for the alpha," Morpho said. Ruby nodded. They followed Serenity below decks.

Tenor lay in the grass. He watched the riders stumbling about the arena, clearly suffering from exhaustion. Astrid was prancing about, all hyper. Snotlout was suffering from sever mood swings, Heather was lacking basic coordination, Fishlegs was getting extremely paranoid, and the Twins were hallucinating. Their dragons were getting more and more worried that their riders were going to hurt themselves. Suddenly the sun came out from behind the clouds and hit Tenor. His black scales absorbed all the heat, and he felt it burning him. He jumped to his feet and went into the arena where there was a bit of shade. Stormfly looked at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

"I'm a creature of the night," Tenor hissed. "I'm not used to so much sunlight. It's starting to burn me."

"I'm sure Toothless is suffering the same thing," Stormfly said. "He's also a creature of the night."

"Maybe," Tenor said. "Though he doesn't spend as much in the dark as I do. But I don't know everything about him."

"Toothless is probably the biggest mystery in our world," Sromfly said. "He was never seen in Dragon Island during the Red Death's reign. Whenever we attacked Berk for food he would just come out of nowhere like a black ghost. He was the Red Death's number one target. We were all wondering if he was sent by Draco himself to save us."

"Sure sounds like it," Tenor said. "Still I hope the stars and moon come back. I'm hungry."

"Why don't you go hunting then?" asked Stormfly.

"I only hunt at night," Tenor said. "I'm too exposed in the daylight. There's food on Skywalker, I'll wait for it to get back."

"As long as you don't starve yourself," said Stormfly. Just then she spotted three maces falling towards Astrid and Snotlout. She squawked and shot them away. Hookfang and Windshear exchanged a glance.

"We should do something," Windshear said. "Before they hurt themselves."

"Like what?" asked Hookfang. "We can't put them in their huts, they'll just come right back out again."

"We'll need to put them somewhere they can't get out," said Windshear. "Somewhere nice and dark so they can get some rest."

"Where would that be?" Hookfang asked.

"Leave that to me," Windshear said. She turned back to Heather, who accidentally splashed water everywhere.

Back on the island, Hiccup looked through his spyglass at the pack of wild dragons. They turned and ran off. Hiccup motioned for Toothless to follow him. They followed the wild dragons, even though they were out of sight. They soon came to the base of a deep, narrow canyon. Dragon footprints lead straight into it. Toothless gave a worried croon.

"I agree, it looks pretty tight," Hiccup said. "Let's go around." He and Toothless turned around, only to see the wild dragons staring at them. Toothless growled.

"Ok, I see what you were worried about now," Hiccup said. "But look they haven't done anything." Toothless kept growling. The wild dragons shot fiery cannon balls into the air, which Hiccup and Toothless managed to dodge them.

"Ok, now they've done something," Hiccup said. Suddenly three more wolf-like dragons joined the first three and they began pushing Hiccup and Toothless towards the canyon.

"How many of these guys are there?" Hiccup wondered aloud. "Well, looks like it's the canyon." He ran into the canyon, Toothless right behind him. They ran and hid behind a wall. The wild dragons ran into the canyon, blocking the way out. Hiccup glanced up at the opening above.

"Not wide enough to fly out of," he said. Toothless snarled. "Let me try something real quick." He pulled out Inferno and stepped out to face the wild ones. He ignited the blade and waved it at them. At first they seemed interested.

"Yeah, see?" said Hiccup. "Everyone loves the Dragon Blade." But suddenly the wild dragons opened their mouth to fire again. Toothless quickly between Hiccup and the wild ones, blocking their shots with his body. He stood protectively over his rider and fired plasma blasts at them. They scattered and rocks fell to block the entrance. Toothless shook himself. The fire from the blasts had burned him a bit, but nothing too damaging.

"Ok, I guess not everyone loves the Dragon Blade." Toothless snorted.

On Skywalker's deck the Draconians watched for the dragon pack's alpha. Serenity sat in her chair, Tenor's present in her lap. The dragons had watched Hiccup and Toothless run into the canyon. The dragon pack circled around.

"So far so good," said Phoenix. "They haven't gotten killed yet."

"You think we should help them?" asked Heddrod. "Even the odds a bit."

"No," Morpho said. "Let them have some quality time together, just the two of them. If they look like they're about to fail, we'll step in. For now, we must keep an eye out for that alpha."

"Maybe I can go flying with Ruby to pass the time," Serenity said.

"No," Viper said sternly. "You must stay with us. These dragons eat humans and they won't care if you can speak our language't . You'll be safer here. Tenor said you love our kind a little too much, and won't see wild dragons for the threat the can be."

"You guys are wild dragons," Serenity said. Ruby walked up to her.

"Serenity please," he said. "Stay where it's safe. I know you want to go flying so badly and we will, I promise." Serenity sighed.

"All right," she said. She leaned back into her chair and fiddled with the helm. Ruby laid next to her. He saw the sad look in her eyes. He nudged her gently.

"Why do you want to fly so badly even though it's so dangerous?" he asked. "I don't want to lose you again." Serenity didn't answer, but her expression went sadder.

"I'm sorry," she said after a while. "I don't want to be separated from you again either. I just miss flying so much."

"I know you do," Ruby said. "But you must be patient. I think you need to go to bed when we get back to the Edge. You're very tired, and you haven't slept very well since the Midnight Sun started." Serenity did feel her eyes getting heavy.

"Well I hope they hurry up down there," she said. She got off the chair and sat on the floor next to Ruby. He draped his wing around her and she looped her arm around his neck. She buried her face into is scales. They lay there together to wait.

Back on the Edge, the riders were slipping deeper and deeper into madness. Windshear watched as Heather brushed the wall of the arena, thinking it was the dragon. Windshear went over to her fellow dragons. They watched as Astrid actually began babying Snotlout, who was still suffering mood swings. Fishlegs was hiding behind a stack of crates, looking very paranoid. The Twins were acting weirder than usual.

"This is getting out of hand," said Stormfly. "If we don't do something soon, they're going to hurt themselves."

"I agree," Hookfang said. "I hope Hiccup and Toothless get back soon, and the airship."

"Until they do, it's up to us," said Windshear. The dragons nodded in agreement.

Hiccup and Toothless walked through the canyon, trying to find another exit. The wild dragons flew above them, occasionally dropping fiery canon balls into the canyon, which exploded. Hiccup and Toothless ran away from the explosion. But Hiccup could only go so far. He stopped and leaned on a nearby rock.

"I need to rest a minuet," he said. Toothless looked more worried that Hiccup wasn't going to last much longer, and would soon collapse from pure exhaustion. Just then the wolf-like dragons passed over again.

"Man do these guys ever give up?" Hiccup panted. They got moving again and soon came to a dead end. In front of them, were more dragon hunter equipment, all broken.

"Dead end, great," said Hiccup, picking up a helmet. "You know I'm starting to think the hunters became the hunted." He then spotted a break in the thick canopy of trees on the rim of the canyon. "Look, that's our way out." He mounted Toothless and they took off. They came face to face with the pack of dragons, they fired making Toothless fly in the opposite direction. He flew as fast as he could, and they gave chase. Toothless dodged the canon balls fired at him, making sure none of them hit Hiccup. But eventually the wild dragons knocked Toothless to the ground, and Hiccup fell out of the saddle. The pack attacked them, but Toothless fired at them keeping them at bay. Hiccup got back on, and Toothless took off again. He faced the wild ones, but suddenly they flew off.

"Wait they're leaving?" Hiccup said, confused. But then he heard a loud roar behind him. He and Toothless turned to see a bigger dragon. This one was light green, had a big round flat head, and eyes so tiny they could hardly be seen. The smaller dragons latched themselves onto the underside of the big one's wings. They charged Hiccup and Toothless, who turned and flew off. The wild dragons fired rapidly at them. They eventually managed to knock Hiccup out of the saddle. He fell towards the ground. Toothless dove after him, but got hit as well and knocked out. He came round a few second later, still falling. He spun round and dove after Hiccup again. He caught him, just as they hit the ground. A few of the small dragons separated from their alpha and dive bombed them. Toothless hit one with his tail, and blasted the rest, stunning them. Hiccup got to his feet and they ran off. They quickly looked for a place to hide. Hiccup soon spotted a cave with grey netting over the entrance.

"Toothless, there," he said. He ran towards the cave, and Toothless followed him into it.

It was awful dark inside. They wandered deeper into a narrow tunnel. They soon came to a large dark room. Toothless lit a torch, lighting up the place. In the room, they found what looked like a hidden campsite. There were crates full of hunting objects and maps. More maps lined the wall. Untouched food sat on a small table near a cold fire pit. Hiccup went up to the biggest map on the wall. It had a lot of red X's on it.

"This was an observation post," he said. "They were spying on Berk from here, until they ran into those dragons." Suddenly the cave shook violently and dust fell, but stopped just as suddenly. Hiccup picked up an arrowhead, thinking hard.

"So what do we know," he said. "Big dragon. Wait we gotta call these guys something. Okay so what to they do, they follow, they herd, they shadow. Yes, ShadowWings. All in favor?" He put up is hand. Toothless didn't move. "Good it's unanimous." He placed the big arrowhead on the ground. "So the big dragon is not as fast or as maneuverable as us, so we have an advantage there. But to even have a chance to get passed it, we have to go through several of the smaller ShadowWings. And they are quicker then us, and they're smart and work as a team; and Viper said they learn quickly." He pinched the bridge of his nose, moaning in frustration. "I don't know what to do." Toothless nudged him encouragingly. Hiccup smiled at him and scratched his chin. "Yeah your right. We can do this. What we need is a plan." He got up and took the big map off the wall.

Back at the Edge the riders had completely lost it. The Twins were throwing punches, Snotlout kept bursting into tears for no reason. They dragons watched this.

"Any ideas guys?" asked Belch.

"I've got nothing," said Hookfang.

"Hey guys," said Windshear. She used her tail to open a trap door in the floor of the arena. It was pitch black in there, and very quiet

"Oh, great idea Windshear," said Stormfly. "I completely forgot we had that."

"And when the others get back, Toothless can put Hiccup in there too," said Hookfang. One by one the dragons tossed their riders into the pit. Windshear closed the door and they laid down to wait.

Back in the cave Hiccup had drawn on the back of the big map. He used the arrowheads to represent the ShadowWings. So far he came up with nothing. Toothless could tell he was loosing his touch due to lack of sleep. Suddenly the cave shook again. A bit of dust landed on Toothless's nose, making him sneeze. The arrowheads were scattered, and this somehow gave Hiccup an idea.

"Toothless you are a genius," he exclaimed. Toothless was completely confused however.

A few minuets later Hiccup went to a nearby stream and filled a water canteen. He kept a weary eye out the whole time. So far, no ShadowWings appeared.

"Come on," Hiccup muttered. "I know you guys are out there." All too soon, he heard ShadowWings behind him. He spun round just in time to see two ShadowWings get caught in a netting trap. Hiccup smirked. They began squealing loudly.

"That's it guys, call for help," Hiccup taunted. Four more ShadowWings dive bombed him. He ran back in the direction of the cave. The ShadowWings flew after him, into he cave. But Hiccup hadn't gone into the cave. He'd run into the shrubs across from it. When the ShadowWings ran into the cave, Hiccup and Toothless came out of hiding. Toothless shot at at the entrance, making rocks fall and trap the ShadowWings inside. Hiccup then mounted Toothless and they took off, looking for the last of the ShadowWings.

"Six down, four to go," Hiccup said confidently. Soon they found the big ShadowWing, with four smaller ones still attached to it's wings. Toothless flew at them head on. When two of the ShadowWings opened their mouths to fire, he shot two plasma blasts at them. The blasts hit the two other dragons, stunning them, and making them fall off their alpha's wing. This left only two small ShadowWings left. They dislodged themselves and flew back at Toothless. Hiccup made Toothless fly straight upward and the remaining ShadowWings were hot on their tail. Suddenly the two small ones latched onto Toothless's wings, causing drag. He struggled to get them off, but with no success. To make matters worse he felt the big ShadowWing close in and snap his jaws at Toothless's tail. Hiccup seemed to have run out of ideas. Toothless snorted in frustration, and took over. He stopped and went into a power dive. As he sped towards the ground, he spun rapidly. This forced the ShadowWings to let go of his wings. While he spun, he fired plasma blasts at the ground, kicking up a huge cloud of dust and water. He felt the big dragon close in on him. He used his sonar to detect how far the ground was. When he was close enough, he got out of the way quick. The big ShadowWing was not as quick and smacked into the ground, hard. Toothless hovered overhead.

"I wasn't worried," Hiccup said, stunned. "I knew you had all along." Toothless snarled angrily. "Okay, I was a little worried. Let's go home." They headed away from the island. They were soon joined by the airship. It pulled alongside them. Viper was watching them.

"You guys have fun?" she asked, sounding amused

"Where were you the whole time?" asked Hiccup. "Why didn't you come help."

"Morpho felt you two needed to spend some quality time alone together," Viper said. "Besides, you said you didn't need us." Hiccup could find no argument to this. They sped up and headed back to the Edge.

When they got there, Hiccup and Toothless landed in the arena and Serenity pulled the ship to a stop over the grass beside it. Hiccup dismounted and Serenity climbed down the ladder with Tenor's present. Hiccup glanced around confused. All the dragons were there, but none of the riders were.

"Where is everyone?" he asked no one. "And why aren't these dragons clean?" The dragons went over to the trap door. Hiccup followed and opened the door. He found all the riders fast asleep in there

"Oh of course, everyone gets to sleep but me," he said annoyed. Toothless pushed him into the pit with the others, and closed the door. He sat on his haunches and sighed.

"I'm so glad that's over," he said.

"What kept you guys?" asked Windshear.

"Long story," Toothless said. "I'll tell you later." He yawned. Serenity approached the arena, having already reunited with Tenor.

"You guys still want a wash?" she asked. The dragons all beamed.

"Thanks Serenity but grooming and feeding gives us opportunities or spend quality time with our riders," Stormfly said. "Outside the battlefield anyway." Serenity smiled respectively.

"We should get some sleep anyway," Hookfang said, and they all agreed. They curled up together.

"Why don't you join us?" Meatlug suggested. Serenity smiled wider.

"All right," she said. "I'll be there in a minuet. I want to give Tenor his present." The dragons laid down. Serenity pulled the big leaver and the dome closed around them, providing them with darkness. As it closed, Serenity turned to Tenor.

"How've you been holding up?" she asked. Tenor sighed.

"I'm alright," he said. He spotted the clothed item in her hands. "What's that?"

"I got you a present," Serenity said. "Since you've been missing the moon and stars. Let's go into the dome, it needs darkness to work. I'm hoping it will cheer you up." Tenor followed her into the dome. It was very dark in there. The other dragons seemed to have just fallen asleep. Tenor laid beside them and Serenity sat between him and Toothless. She set the item on the ground and took off it's covering. It turned out to be a metal sphere with thousands of tiny holes carved into it, as well as a crescent moon. Inside there were three large glowing crystals. So when the cloth was removed, the light came through the holes and turned the dome into the starry sky, with a crescent moon. A few of the makeshift stars even formed constellations such as: The Big Dipper, The Little Dipper, Pegasus, Orion, Hercules, and of course Draco. Tenor almost cried. It looked just like the real night sky, the one he'd been missing all this time. He smiled and nuzzled Serenity.

"Thank you, thank you so much," he said. The other dragons saw this too. They too liked the makeshift stars and moon, and were very touched with Serenity's commitment to her friend. They laid back down. Tenor licked Serenity's face. She laughed and leaned her head on his side.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"I do," Tenor said. "I really do." Serenity closed her eyes and soon feel asleep. Tenor glanced up at the makeshift moon and stars. They really did look like the real thing. He looked down at his rider, loving her even more. He licked her cheek and laid his head down. He heaved a happy sigh and soon fell asleep as well.


	8. Gold Rush

Gold Rush

Tenor lay on the boardwalk of the outpost. He watched Hiccup and Toothless fly all over the island, training hard. Tenor was concerned for the both of them. They had been training all day every day, hardly eating or sleeping. He worried they were going to work themselves to death.

In the club house the rest of the riders were gathered around a Maces and Talons board. Serenity was sitting in a corner, checking Heddrod's teeth. Many of the Draconians did not trust Gobber with their teeth, Heddrod was one of them. Both he and Serenity watched Heather and Fishlegs playing a very intense round of Maces and Talons. For now no one was winning.

"What do you think of that game?" asked Heddrod, his voice muffled by his propped open mouth.

"I don't," Serenity said. "It's a Viking game, and I'm Draconian." She finished cleaning his teeth and pulled the prop out. Heddrod closed his mouth.

"Thanks," he said and got to his feet. He turned to leave.

"Oh, please don't go Heddrod," Serenity said. "You guys never stay for more than an hour these days." Heddrod looked at her.

"We came up here to help fight dragon hunters and free innocent dragons," he said. "We're not here for you. We like you sure, but you're not the reason we're up here." Serenity just nodded and didn't protest. Heddrod hesitated, then he left. Serenity sat on the floor and leaned against the corner, pulling her hat over her eyes. She listened to the game, and soon Heather won. Just then Hiccup and Toothless came in from training. Toothless was practically dragging his wings along the ground.

"Well, well, look what the Night Fury dragged in," Astrid teased. Toothless slumped to the ground next to Serenity.

"Tough day?" Serenity asked glumly.

"After a long line of tough days," Toothless said. Serenity patted his neck. She reached into her bag and pulled out her water canteen and a bowel. She filled the bowel with water and set it down in front of Toothless. He drank it, and Serenity drank from the canteen as they heard the riders talking.

"You've been pushing it pretty hard lately," Heather said Hiccup. "Everyone needs rest."

"Yeah, I'll rest when Viggo's gone for good," Hiccup said. Toothless and Serenity exchanged a worried glance.

"You want to hurt Viggo," said a voice. Everyone turned to see Dagur and Shattermaster. "Talk to me." Everyone stared in bewilderment.

About an hour later Dagur was munching on a lunch of turkey that Heather had cooked for him. They all waited for him to finished before they could ask him questions. Dagur seemed very pleased.

"This is so good," he said, waving the turkey leg in the air. "And cooked to perfection I might add."

"Thanks," said Heather. "Though it was Serenity's recipe." She pointed towards Serenity who was setting a barrel of rocks in front of Shattermaster. Serenity didn't even acknowledge the comment.

"So Dagur, about hurting Viggo," said Hiccup.

"I should have know it was you Heather," said Dagur, not paying any attention to Hiccup. "Cooking runs in the family. I bet you make a wicked Berserk chicken." Hiccup was growing more impatient.

"Dagur, what about Viggo," he asked.

"Oh, yes," said Dagur. "So while I was out looking for Azwald the Agreeable." Heather interrupted in surprise.

"Wait you've been looking for our father?" she asked.

"See, since I didn't kill him and you didn't kill him," said Dagur. "I figured he must be out there somewhere. So while I was looking for dear old Dad, when I came across the wimpiest dragon hunter. I mean all I had to do was sneer at him and he gave up everything." He laughed out loud. Hiccup waited impatiently.

"What did he say?" he asked bitterly.

"I'll tell you if you call me brother," Dagur said jokingly. Hiccup said nothing. "Okay fine. He told me where Viggo hides his gold." Everyone was even more surprised at this. "And some of that gold."

"Is Berk's gold," said Astrid.

"Bingo," said Dagur.

"We can get Berk's gold back," said Hiccup. "And cripple Viggo in one blow."

"And if it's all the same to you," said Dagur. "I'll take some of Viggo's gold for myself. Then Heather and I will set out to look for our father, and rebuild the Berserker family." Heather was taken aback.

"You really expect me to go with you?" she asked.

"I'm serious Heather, that's why I'm here," said Dagur.

"I'll get Skywalker fired up," Serenity said. She left the room.

She headed over and climbed the ladder up to Skywalker's deck. She sat in her chair and fired up the ship. Serenity explained where they were going. Tenor and the other Draconians were excited. Ruby volunteered to hold down the edge with the Night Terrors. Serenity steered the ship after the riders who had just taken off on their dragons. They all flew around the ship. Dagur told Hiccup the direction to go in and they headed in that direction. Dagur looked over at Serenity at the helm. Everyone else, except Hiccup, looked over at Heather.

"Man if Heather leaves, she'll take all her good cooking with her," said Tuffnut.

"I'm sure Heather's not going to leave," said Fishlegs. "She's one of us now." Astrid pulled up alongside Windshear.

"You okay?" she asked Heather.

"Dagur just assumes I'm going to drop everything and join him on some crazy mission to find our dad," Heather said. "I mean did he even think to ask me?"

"He's Dagur," said Astrid.

"Well, I'm not going," said Heather. "I'm a dragon rider now." She punched the air confidently. Serenity leaned back in her chair and kept the ship steady. She didn't say anything. She was aware of Dagur watching her. She ignored him however.

Soon they reached the island where the gold was stored.

"Ok everyone," Hiccup said. "Diamond formation, and keep a sharp eye out." They went in low and headed for a tall cliff. On the cliff were a set of ruins. There was no a soul in sight.

"Huh, no one in sight, that's new," said Snotlout. Everyone landed in the middle of the ruins. Serenity pulled the ship to a stop and climbed down the ladder. Hiccup glanced around, all his senses on high alert.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" he asked Dagur.

"Yes I'm sure," said Dagur, a touch offended. "But Viggo might have moved the gold, he can be very slippery." All the dragons were smelling the air.

"I can smell gold," said Viper. "Quite strongly too." Fishlegs and Phoenix were examining the ruins.

"This is an incredible archeological discovery," Fishlegs said. "Ancient vikings must have lived here hundreds of years ago."

"I don't think so," Phoenix said, sniffing the ruins. "These ruins don't smell that old, they're probably fake."

"How would you know?" Fishlegs asked skeptically. Phoenix looked reproachful.

"I happen to be a stonemason by trade," she said. "And my mother specializes in archeology. She could tell the age of any structure by smell." Snotlout approached them and reach out to touch the ruins, but Fishlegs smacked his hand away.

"We're not here to destroy history," he snapped. "We're here to find the gold." Snotlout scowled.

"If there were gold here, this place would be swarming with Viggo's men," he said. Hiccup glanced around, deep in thought.

"Something feels wrong," he said. He spotted Toothless sniffing at something in trees. Everyone went over to see what he'd found. Hiccup knelt beside Toothless and brushed the leaves off a set of cart tracks, leading into the woods. Morpho came up beside them, sniffing the air.

"I smell a red herring," he said. Hiccup stood up.

"You may be right Morpho," he said. "Question is, what's the red herring?" They all headed into the woods, following the tracks. Hiccup turned to Serenity.

"You should stay with the ship," he said. "We may need a way to carry all that gold out quickly."

"Good idea," she said. She sat down on a boulder to wait.

The riders and dragons followed the tracks, keeping their eyes open for Viggo or his hunters. The Draconians continued to sniff the air. The smell of gold was getting weaker.

"This whole place reeks of hunter filth," spat Viper.

"Oh, I hope we'll get to kill a few later," said Heddrod. He snorted sharply.

"You think we'll find the gold at the end of this trail?" Phoenix asked Tenor.

"I seriously doubt it," Tenor said. "But we may find a clue, or at least some hunters to kill."

They walked for a few miles. Soon they reached a clearing where the tracks ended. There wasn't much there except a few boulders, and a tarp covering something. Hiccup stared at the thing in the middle of the clearing. He spotted another set of tracks leading off in a different direction. Snotlout and Hookfang approached the tarp.

"I don't see any gold here," said Snotlout.

"Expect the unexpected Snotlout," said Hiccup, as Dagur turned to him.

"You want to do the honers or should I?" Dagur asked. Hiccup went up and pulled the tarp off what it was covering. It turned out to be a small shed made of heavy dragon proof metal.

"Oh, we're so close Heather," Dagur said excitedly. "Once the gold is ours, then our real journey begins."

"Don't get too close gang," Hiccup warned. "I'm sure Viggo booby trapped this thing."

"Never fear," Tuffnut boasted. "Ruffnut and I are the best booby trap sniffers to have every sniffed out a booby trap."

"Ok check it for traps, but be. careful," Hiccup said. Ruff and Tuff jumped to the ground and scanned the area for traps. Nothing happened however. Hiccup was still puzzling over the whole thing. The Twins cleared off when they found nothing.

"No traps," said Tenor.

"Even more suspicious," said Morpho. Hiccup turned to Toothless.

"Give it your best shot bud," he said. Toothless squared his shoulders and shot a plasma blast at the door. It hit with a loud bang, but it made no dent in the door.

"It must be reinforced," Hiccup said.

"Well, you tried your way," said Dagur. "Now we'll do it Berserker style. Show 'em our new move Shattermaster." Shattermaster took off and rose high over the shed. Then he rolled into a ball and barreled down towards the locked door. When he got closer he opened up and went rigged, his tail aimed at the door. He hit it with the force of a Quaken, and the door caved in.

"Nice work Shattermaster!" Dagur praised. Hiccup and Astrid entered the shed, to find it empty. Hiccup was beside himself in confusion and frustration.

"It looks like we're too late," said Astrid softly.

"But nothing makes sense," Hiccup said. "No guards, no traps." He turned his attention to the tracks. "There's two sets of tracks here, one coming in and one going out. Fishlegs can you see any differences in depth?" Fishlegs got on his hands and knees, looking closely at the tracks.

"Yes," he said. "It appears the tracks coming in are deeper than the tracks going out."

"They must have wheeled in the gold, then taken it out on foot," Hiccup said. "This shed is just a decoy, the gold must be somewhere else on the island."

"Red herring," Morpho said.

"We should split up," Dagur suggested. "Heather and I will search a different part. But we should be careful, Viggo's men could show up at anytime." Fishlegs seemed like he was trying not to protest.

"I should go with them," he said after a while.

"All right," Hiccup said. "You search for the gold on foot, the rest of us will search from above. You should take the Draconians with you." The Draconians looked eager. "Send up signals if you need help." The Draconians studied the tracks for themselves.

"I notice that there's no way of telling which direction these tracks are actually going," Viper said in dragontongue to her fellows. "So for all we know these deeper tracks could be the one's going away from the shed."

"But that would mean the gold is back at the coast," said Heddrod. "And we didn't see any place that could conceal gold."

"Maybe they shipped it off the island," Morpho said. "That's what I would do if I thought my treasures were in one place for too long."

"That sure would make finding it a lot harder," Phoenix said. At that moment Dagur turned to them.

"Come on, daylight's wasted," he called.

"Should we split up?" Tenor asked. "Morpho, Viper and I go with Dagur and Heather, and Heddrod and Phoenix go with Hiccup.

"Sounds good to me," Morpho said. He, Tenor and Viper followed Heather, Dagur, Fishlegs and their dragons out of the clearing.

Back at the ruins, Serenity paced up and down in the shadow of the ship. She examined the ruins, since there was nothing else to do. Suddenly she heard twigs napping behind her. She turned around, but saw nothing. She got the feeling she was being watched. She hoped her dragons would be back soon. Wind blew through the trees, making the ship sway back and forth. Serenity got goosebumps on her arms and back of her neck. She turned to clime the ladder, but before she even touched it, hands grabbed her from behind. Ropes were tied around her and a gag was placed in her mouth. She struggled but was not able to break free. A sack was placed over her head. She felt herself being dragged away, leaving her hat behind. She had no hope of escape or survival.

Tenor, and his fellow Draconians followed Dagur, Heather, and Fishlegs through the woods. Dagur was way excited.

"Once we get Viggo's gold we'll head strait out towards the horizon," he said to Heather. "I know a shady trader at the Northern Markets that might have information on Dad." Heather spoke up.

"Hold on," she said. "You barge into my life like a Cavern Crasher ramped up on Dragonnip, and unload all these grand ideas."

"I've been out there Heather, surviving on my own," said Dagur. "It's a lonely existence."

"You don't have to tell me," said Heather.

"I know I don't," said Dagur. "And I couldn't stop thinking about how difficult that must have been for you, all alone. I knew I had to make it right. I mean sure; I have Shattermaster you have Windshear, but it's not as good as having a family."

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you set me adrift," said Heather sternly.

"Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could take that back," said Dagur, gripping Heather on the shoulders and looking into her eyes. "I was young and foolish."

"And twisted and evil," Heather finished, turning away.

"Okay I deserve that," Dagur said. "But this is my chance to make it right. This is my only chance to rebuild the Berserker tribe. And it'll only work if we do it together as a family. It's time to go home sis." He turned and went back to looking. Morpho noticed the look on Fishlegs face.

"What's with the face Fishlegs?" he asked.

"You don't think Heather will go with Dagur do you?" Fishlegs asked.

"What are you going to do if she does?" Morpho asked. "I mean it's her choice and you mustn't make it for her. You may have to adjust to life without her."

"I don't want her to leave," Fishlegs said.

"And I don't want dragons to be hunted," Morpho said. "Let hurry up and find this gold." They all went back to looking.

The other part of the group were turning over every rock for the gold. So far they found no trace of it. Hiccup was determined to not give up however. He rode Toothless along the ground. Astrid and Stormfly ran up beside him.

"Hiccup," Astrid called.

"Don't say it," said Hiccup frustrated.

"We've looked all over the island," said Astrid.

"We have to find that gold Astrid," said Hiccup. "It'll cripple Viggo and get Berk back on it's feet, and out of dept."

"I want all those things too," said Astrid. "But if it's not here."

"It's here," Hiccup said. "I know it is. Viggo's smart and very tricky. I just have to outthink him." He shook his head to clear it.

"Hey look," said Phoenix. She pointed to two hunters walking off with a cartload of shovels and pickaxes.

"Hunters," said Heddrod.

"Did they bury it?" Astrid wondered aloud. They turned and followed the hunters. Phoenix and Heddrod leaped into the trees and followed along the branches, hopping from tree to tree.

The other group had just arrived at a cave. Dagur heard Fishlegs whimpering nervously.

"Don't worry Fishlegs," Dagur said. "I'll search this one. I miss the zen of a quiet dark cave."

"I'll go with you," Tenor said. "You don't know how deep that thing goes, and I have sonar."

"Good idea," Dagur said. Tenor and Shattermaster followed him into the cave. Once inside Tenor let out a sonar signal." After he received the echo, he lead the way deeper into the cave.

"Are you sensing any gold?" Dagur asked.

"No," Tenor said. "But there maybe a clue."

"You know that rider of yours seems pretty left out these days," Dagur said.

"Yeah, she doesn't fight," Tenor said. "And Hiccup wants to train dragons without her help."

"You think she'll go flying with me?" Dagur asked. Tenor growled. "I won't hurt her, she'll be perfectly safe with me."

"You're free to ask her," Tenor said. "But if she says no, back off."

"All right," Dagur said. At that moment the reached a dead end. Tenor sniffed about. Dagur stepped forward, and trod on the tail of a sleeping Terror. It woke up and alerted it's friends. They screeched angrily and chased Dagur out of the cave. Tenor followed casually. They exited the cave and rejoined Heather and Fishlegs. They left to search some more.

Hiccup and his group followed the hunters as quietly as they could. They hid behind some bushes to watch them. Heddrod and Phoenix watched from the trees. The hunters dumped the shovels and pickaxes out of the cart. Suddenly Snotlout and the Twins sneezed very loudly, and that alerted the hunters. They dropped what they were doing and ran for it. The riders mounted their dragons and flew after them. Heddrod raised his wings to follow but Phoenix stopped him.

"Wait, I got a funny feeling," she said. She flew to a different tree and Heddrod followed. They watched as the riders and dragons flew right into a large net, getting them all trapped. Ryker came out from wherever he was hiding.

"We should go get the others," Phoenix said. The two dragons took off.

Dagur's group was alerted to the situation and watched from a cliff. Hiccup's group was being loaded onto ships, locked in cages.

"That didn't take long," Tenor said, surprised

"Funny, Hiccup was never that easy to capture when I was chasing him," said Dagur.

"We Draconians think Hiccup has lost his touch," Tenor said. Heather looked through her spyglass. She saw her friends being loaded onto the ship, and she spotted Viggo on the bridge.

"Viggo," she said. "We have to rescue them before he disappears."

"And we'll do it Berserker style," said Dagur. "I have the perfect plan."

"No," Fishlegs barked. "Riders rescue riders. Hiccup is my best friend, whenever I have needed him he has been there. We're doing this my way." Dagur was so moved by this that he agreed. The Draconians exchanged a glance.

"Did that sound a little harsh to you guys?" Viper asked.

"Yeah, Dagur might have the perfect solution for all we know," Morpho said. "I hope we get to try that one too."

Down on the ship, Ryker brought Hiccup to Viggo's cabin. Viggo was looking at a map of the island. He turned when Hiccup entered.

"Please sit," Viggo said politely.

"I'll stand," said Hiccup. Ryker shoved him into the chair anyway and drew his sword.

"You must forgive my brother," Viggo said. "He doesn't fully understand the concept of savoring victory." Ryker growled but backed off. Viggo sat in his chair.

"You and your riders could have searched that island for months and you'd never find my gold," he said calmly, gesturing to the map behind him.

"Well you never know," said Hiccup, keeping his cool. "We might surprise you."

"You are referring to your impending rescue," said Viggo. "Don't count on it."

High above the remaining riders and dragons followed the fleet of ships. The Draconians were all chomping at the bit.

"Okay, you two take out the flanking ships," said Fishlegs. "Meatlug and I will focus on the flagship." Fishlegs and Heather flew down towards the ships, and started firing at them. Dagur seemed to be meditating on Shattermaster. The Draconians looked at him.

"Should we wait for him?" Viper asked.

"Nah," said Tenor. "Let's just go kill some fools and rescue our friends." The all agreed and dove down towards the ships. They didn't hesitate and fired at the hunters. They picked up a few in their talons and dropped them into the ocean, well out of reach of the ships. Tenor, and the other Blackfangs bit as many hunters as they could, killing them with their venom. Dagur eventually joined in, letting out a loud battle cry. Shattermaster rammed into the side of the ships, making them rock violently. The hunters were knocked off their feet and not able to fire back. More were killed by the Draconians.

On the flag ship Hiccup, Viggo, and Ryker felt the ship rocking. Viggo sneered.

"That must be your other riders," he said. "Coming to rescue you, such loyalty. I can hardly keep my own brother focused."

"What are you getting at Viggo?" Hiccup demanded, tired of Viggo's gloating.

"Did you really think I would leave myself exposed without added protection," Viggo said. "You're about to have a front row seat for the death of your riders and their dragons."

Outside the band of dragons fired at the ships, giving it all they had. But when then smoke cleared they discovered a lining of heavy metal under the wood. The ships stayed floating, not even dented.

"We should really get some of that metal ourselves," Morpho said.

"Dragon proof ships!?" exclaimed Fishlegs. The hunters fired at them, but everyone managed to avoid getting hit.

"Well that didn't work," said Dagur. "Anyone else have any thoughts, that I might have mentioned earlier?" Fishlegs seemed to hesitate.

"Fishlegs, I think we should try my brother's way," said Heather.

"Your brother!?" said Fishlegs shocked.

"Yeah come on Fishlegs," said Viper. "Hiccup would have given it a chance." Fishlegs agreed reluctantly.

"Yes! Berserker style!" Dagur cried.

"What do you have in mind Dagur?" Phoenix asked.

They went in again. Dagur was mounted on Windshear behind Heather. Shattermaster was curled into a ball, wrapped in Windshear's tail. They flew towards the nearest ship. Fishlegs and the Draconians watched excitedly. When they were close enough Windshear swung her tail round, launching Shattermaster towards the ship. He spun rapidly towards the ship. Then he snapped open and went stiff, and shot right through the ship's haul. He was going so fast that he burst out the other side, causing further damage. Water immediately began flooding ship and it began to sink. Shattermaster flew back up to Windshear.

"Is that as fun as it looks?" Windshear asked him.

"Yeah it does," Shattermaster said. "And I don't feel a thing."

"Can we try that too?" Heddrod asked. "Since we have two Gronkles?"

"I requires a special kind of tail to do it," said Dagur. Morpho exchanged a glance with Heddrod, then both of them cracked their tails like whips.

"Razorwhips and Whippertails are cousins," Heddrod explained. Dagur agreed, and Fishlegs agreed a bit more reluctantly. Shattermaster gave Meatlug a few pointers, and they set off. Fishlegs climbed onto Phoenix's back, and Morpho wrapped his tail around Meatlug. They headed for another attack. The two Gronkles were launched at two more ships, and both were successfully punctured. With all this chaos, it didn't take long before the captured riders came out and joined the fight. All the dragons and riders attacked the hunters. Astrid flew off the deck, and spotted Toothless stranded on the deck, surrounded by hunter aiming dragonroot arrows at him.

"Toothless," said Astrid, worried. Luckily Tenor saw this as well.

"I'm coming for you cousin," he said, diving at the hunters. At that moment Hiccup ran onto the deck of the flag ship. He also spotted his dragon in trouble.

"Toothless!" he called. Toothless looked at him. Tenor swooped down and knocked the hunters off their feet, killing many of them. Hiccup ran towards Toothless, and Toothless ran towards him. Hiccup grabbed a rope and swung over the side of the ship just as Toothless jumped towards him. They both splashed down into the water. Tenor bit a few more hunters, then took off. All went quiet as they waited for Hiccup and Toothless to emerge. All too soon they burst though the closest ship, puncturing it. As that ship sank the riders and dragons regrouped. Fishlegs got back on his own dragon. They flew back towards the island as fast as they could.

"Thanks for having my back cousin," Toothless said to Tenor.

"It was fun," Tenor said.

They soon reached the island and landed near the ruins. The airship was still there waiting.

"How come you didn't use the airship?" Hiccup asked Tenor.

"It was kind of spur of the moment," Tenor said. "And turned out we didn't need it this time. Dagur had a great solution."

"So how did you know where the gold was?" asked Astrid.

"I worked it out," Hiccup explained. "The tracks leading to the shed didn't make sense. Then I remembered the hunters carrying tools like they were building something. But Viggo ended up giving it away when he pointed to the map over his desk. There were no viking ruins on it at all." Hiccup turned to Toothless. "Give us a shot bud." Toothless shot plasma blast a few pillars, blasting away the stone. When the smoke cleared they saw the gold, perfectly concealed in the stone.

"I knew I smelled gold," said Viper triumphantly.

"It was hiding in plain sight all alone," said Astrid.

"Perhaps they wheeled the gold from the shed to this spot," Morpho said. "And that's why one set of tracks was deeper than the other. And it created the perfect red herring."

"Our king and queen will be so excited when they hear about this," Viper said. While they got to work gathering all the gold, Tenor jumped onto the ship.

"Hey Serenity guess what we found!" he called. He expected her to come running up from bellow decks. But she didn't. "Serenity? Come out, we found the gold and we can go back to the Edge now." Still there was no answer. The other Draconians landed next to him.

"Something's wrong," Tenor said.

"Maybe she wandered off," said Viper.

"But we told her to stay put," said Phoenix. "And she's very good about following orders." Viper went below decks to look for her. They waited for a few minuets before she came back, looking more worried.

"She's not on the ship at all," she said. Tenor felt a horrible sense of foreboding.

"Oh no," he said. He flew down to the ground. "Serenity is missing, she's not on the ship at all." He said to the riders and dragons who were starting to load the gold onto the cart.

"That's not good," said Heather.

So while they loaded the gold, they looked around for clues. The dragons sniffed about. They could smell Serenity's sent of dragonnip, and something else.

"I smell hunter," Viper said. "Very recent too."

"And I found this," said Heather holding out Serenity's hat. Tenor snarled angrily.

"How could I be so stupid!" he roared. "Leaving her unguarded and defenseless on enemy territory, now the hunters got her."

"And for all we know, she could have been on one of the ships we just sank," Morpho said. Tenor collapsed.

"Oh no," he sobbed. "Please no."

"We have to go back out there," said Heddrod.

"I don't think she was on one of those ships," said Astrid. "We didn't see or hear her."

"I didn't see any sign of her on Viggo's ship either," Hiccup said. "She was probably carried off by a ship that wasn't apart of the fleet at all."

"Then we should go find Viggo's ship again," Heddrod said. "She'll be there eventually."

"It's too late," Astrid said. "Viggo would have left that area by now, and it's getting dark." Viper glared at her.

"Can you say anything helpful?" she snapped.

"Let's finish loading this gold, then we'll worry about her later," Hiccup said. He spotted the looks of longing on all the Draconian's faces.

"There's nothing we can do for her now," Astrid said. "Viggo would have hidden her real good." The Draconians admitted defeat, Tenor was still sobbing under his wings.

They finished loading up the gold. Astrid volunteered to drive Skywalker back to the Edge. The Draconians didn't like it, but agreed. As they finished up Heather and Fishlegs watched the sun set together. They didn't speak for a long time.

"I have to go," Heather said finally.

"I know," said Fishlegs.

"He can't do it with out me," said Heather.

"I know," Fishlegs said again. "And you need to find out about your family, your heritage." He turned to face her, taking her hands in his. "You've been looking for a home since the day I met you. And this might be your chance to find it at last. But just know, we'll always be there if you need us." Heather smiled and hugged him.

"Thank you," she whispered. Dagur approached him as they stepped apart. He held out a hand to Fishlegs.

"She'll be safe with me," Dagur said.

"She better be," Fishlegs said, grasping Dagur's hand. Then Dagur and Heather mounted their dragons.

"Let us know if you find Aswald," said Hiccup.

"We will," said Heather. She then looked over at Tenor, who was still crying. "And if we find Serenity we'll rescue her and bring her back to you Tenor."

"Thanks," Tenor said. He sniffed and wiped his tears away. Heather and Dagur took off.

When they were gone, the riders loaded the gold onto the ship then boarded themselves. Heddrod showed Astrid how to fly the airship. They set off and headed for Dagon's Edge. The sun went down and the stars came out. The Draconians looked up at Draco's stars, looking down at them.

"Please my lord Draco," said Phoenix sadly. "Please watch over our poor dragon healer and keep her safe. And bring her home if you can." The stars twinkled comfortingly at them. They then settled down to sleep.

Serenity was trapped in darkness. She was still bound, gagged, and blindfolded. She was sitting on a chair, on a ship. She had felt herself being loaded onto a ship, then after several hours transferred to the ship she was on now. The hunters hadn't been to gentle with her either. She felt bruises all over her body. She was so scared, but tried not to show it. Suddenly the sack was ripped roughly off her head. She now saw that she was in a dragon cell, that was open. Viggo and Ryker stood in front of her, and three guards stood behind her. Viggo smiled at her.

"I do apologize for the rough transport my dear," he said. "I did ask them to be gentle with you, and make you comfortable." He approached her and she flinched. "It's all right, I mean you know harm." He untied her and removed the gag. Serenity stretched slightly.

"Where are we?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"We are on our way back to my camp," Viggo said. "You must be hungry."

"Thirsty," Serenity said. "It was rather stuffy in that sack." Viggo narrowed his eyes at the three guards.

"Some water for my guest," he ordered. "And make sure it's clean." A guard left and came back with a bucket of water and a goblet. He set the bucket down beside Serenity's chair, and handed her the goblet. She filled it with water and drank it gratefully.

"You should get some rest," Viggo said. "It'll be a long voyage." He gestured to a hammock in a corner of the cell. "It's the best we can do for now. And since were miles away from any land, we'll leave the door open. But we will take that." He grabbed the gold Dragon Eye lens and tore it off Serenity's neck. She shuddered, but said nothing. She was more worried about herself at the moment. Viggo left, and the other men followed. Serenity sat there alone in the dark. She half hoped her dragons and the riders would come rescue her, but as the hours went by, they didn't show. She was stuck there, alone, and helpless. She laid down on the hammock and went to sleep.

Sometime later she felt something nudge her. She woke up and saw Draco looking back at her. He looked stern, but not angry.

"Draco?" she whispered.

"Why are you giving up?" Draco asked. "You think you'll be rescued tomorrow or something? Those riders won't be able to find you for a long time, you'll be too well hidden."

"But I don't fight," Serenity said. "And I don't know which direction to go." Draco narrowed his eyes.

"Have you learned nothing from Tenor?" he asked. "You can escape without fighting, it is possible. Then you navigate the way Tenor showed you."

"Can't you get me out?" Serenity asked. "Please." Draco shook his head.

"You're better than this Serenity," he said. "You're strong, smart and very capable. I refuse to see you as a damsel in distress. If you can get off this ship, by yourself, then I'll help you some. But I'm not going to do all the work for you." Serenity said nothing. She knew he was right. Draco's gaze softened.

"Do we have a deal?" he asked. Serenity sighed.

"Yes my lord," she said.

"I know you can do this," Draco said. "You have everything you need, just use your head."

"What about the Dragon Eye lens?" Serenity asked.

"You don't need to worry about that," Draco said. "Viggo has no way to use it. You're only job is to set yourself free. Don't let me down, and don't let yourself down." He spread his wings, and faded away. Serenity went back to sleep, gathering all the strength she could.


	9. Out of the Frying Pan

Out of the Frying Pan

Serenity wandered around the hunting ship. Viggo didn't seem to care about her doing so. She hadn't said much since her capture two weeks ago. Viggo had said that it was another three days 'til their destination. She'd lost all hope of anyone coming to rescue her. So she spent the last two weeks working out her escape. She poked around the ship looking for a map of the area. Hiccup had the only compass for millions of miles. But she did remember what Tenor had taught her about finding the North Star, and using that to navigate.

She looked in every room, except Viggo's office. She knew there'd be maps in there, but Viggo would be in there too no doubt. He would most likely be puzzling over the gold Dragon Eye lens. So she looked around for something to escape on. The ship was currently empty of captured dragons, so she couldn't fly out. She saw several small rowboats on the deck with oars. It would have to do. She examined the biggest one. It was the size of Hookfang and was able to be operated by one person. She waited until no one was watching her, then dragged it over to the side of the ship and put a pair of oars into it. The sun was setting. Serenity knew that she had to get off the ship tonight if she had any chance, all she needed was a map. She figured Viggo would get suspicious if she just asked him for one. She would have to steel it somehow.

She went back down and laid low in an empty cage in view of Viggo's office. She could hear him arguing with Ryker. Serenity figured they would come out eventually. So she waited.

Her patience was rewarded. Viggo and Ryker soon came out and headed for the top deck, not even glancing at her. When they were gone, Serenity went into the office. There were papers and weapons everywhere. She looked through it all, and soon found a map of the archipelago. It had no marks on it, but it did have a compass rose. She rolled it up and got out of there as quickly as she could. She ran back up top, keeping to the shadows. She snuck over to her rowboat and sat on the side, and looked out at the sea, acting like she wasn't thinking of escape. She hid the map in the rowboat. She waited quietly for night fall.

When the stars came out Serenity loaded the rowboat with a few water canteens. She tied the ends of the boat to the pulleys. She then swung it over the edge of the ship, and got into it. She made sure the map was still secure, then lowered the boat into the sea. She untied it and began rowing away from the ship. There were no clouds in the sky, so finding the North Star was easy. She unrolled the map and used the magic Draco had given her years ago, to light up the boat so she could read it. She found Dragon's Edge, way far to the north. She would never make it, it was too far. She scanned the map for a place that was closer. Based on the position of the North Star, she was facing east. She found the island they had come from, to the west. Then she saw that Queen Mala's island was due north, and it didn't look too far away. She rolled up the map and turned out the light. She turned the boat around so it faced the North Star. Draco's stars were bright and comforting. They curled around the North Star, so she could always find it. She rowed towards it, not knowing how long it would take her to reach the island.

She rowed all night and rested all day, when she couldn't see the North Star. She laid down on the bottom of the boat to save her strength. The boat drifted on the water. The hunter's ships were long gone.

She rowed for days, battling rough seas, and a violent storm. She hunkered down until the water stilled again, making sure she stayed in the boat. Her dragon's blood kept her warm. Several hours later she came out of the storm; wet, exhausted, clothes all torn to shreds, and hungry. She had brought no food along, just water.

Serenity soon lost count of how long she was at sea. Days came and went with no sign of land. She saw a lot of wildlife, but no dragons. She rowed and rowed, slowly getting weaker from lack of food. More days crept by, and she felt so tired and achy. She was really missing her family so much and longed to find them. She remembered how Re and Aurora had been when Chris had been lost to the sea. She knew this would be just as hard, if not harder on them. She wondered if Chris were still alive would he have rescued her by now. She missed him too. It was so lonely out on the sea, and the only dragon she saw was outlined in the stars. She longed to be back in the warm wings of her king and queen. So she kept on rowing.

She rowed and rowed until her arms could no longer lift the heavy oars, and she could row no more. She lay on the bottom of the boat and let it drift with the current, and let the days roll on by.

She fell asleep one afternoon and stayed asleep for a long time. She was asleep when the boat bumped onto the shore of the Eruptadon's volcano.

On Dragon's Edge, Hiccup and Fishlegs were in the clubhouse discussing Hiccup's dragon blade. They were being watched by their dragons, and by the Draconians. The Draconians were snacking casually on a basket of dried and salted newts. The other riders and dragons were going about their respective activities. The only dragon who wasn't doing anything, was Tenor. It had been a month since the hunters captured Serenity, and he was still in pieces. He was laying on the stable roof, and had sat there for a week and a half. He barely ate or slept, and cried a lot. Everyone knew he was worried about his rider, and wanted so desperately to find her.

Losing Serenity to the hunters was very difficult, and telling Re and Aurora was no easier. They had been livid when they heard what happened. They had sent as many dragons as they could out to look for her. They searched all over but had found no trace of her. She wasn't on Viggo's island, anywhere. The king and queen were beside themselves with worry and sadness. Re was pretty mad at the riders for not joining the search. Hiccup told him that he did plan to join the search, when he had a plan to find and rescue Serenity.

Tenor laid on the roof of the stables, hardly moving. He didn't look up when Stormfly landed behind him. No one gave Tenor any grief about sitting on the roof all day, they knew that he not only missed Serenity but felt responsible for the hunters kidnapping her. Astrid dismounted.

"Hey Tenor, how're you doing?" she asked. Tenor sighed sadly.

"I want her back," he croaked.

"I know you do," said Astrid. "And we will get her back. But stealing things from Viggo isn't exactly easy." Tenor said nothing, and stared out at the sea. Stormfly came up beside him.

"I'm sorry, she's not making you feel any better is she?" she said softly. "She's just trying to be realistic."

"She's right though," Tenor said. "There's no hope, and it's all my fault."

"Don't say that Tenor," said Stormfly. "We're all responsible for what happened, and I'm sure she'll be found safe and sound." Tenor blinked like he was holding back tears. Astrid stepped closer to him.

"What would Serenity say if she were here and she saw you like this?" she asked.

"She wouldn't say anything," Tenor said. "She would just sit next to me, so I wouldn't be alone. She always does that when I'm sad." He sniffed again and put his paw over his snout. "She so wonderful that way. She knows exactly when to speak and when to not speak." He heaved a huge sigh. Stormfly gave him a friendly nudge.

"You going to be okay?" Astrid asked.

"I think so," Tenor said. Astrid mounted Stormfly and flew up to the clubhouse. Tenor curled up and hid his head under his wings.

Up at the clubhouse the Draconians watched Hiccup and Fishlegs gabble away, still munching on newts.

"You think Serenity's okay wherever she is?" Viper asked sadly.

"I think so," said Heddrod. "Physically anyway. She's probably very scared."

"Maybe she escaped on her own," Phoenix said. "She's very smart and I'm pretty sure she doesn't want to be a prisoner. And she must know by now that the riders aren't going to rescue her anytime soon."

"You think Tenor will be okay?" asked Viper looking out the window at the stables. "He's taken this very hard."

"Yeah," said Morpho. "Ruby took it pretty hard too." Ruby was leading the search party of dragons that were looking for Serenity. He was just as determined as the king and queen were to find and rescue her.

Astrid, Snotlout, and the Twins soon entered the clubhouse. Hiccup and Fishlegs were still talking. Just then a Tiny Terror flew in and landed in front of Hiccup, a scroll tied to its leg.

"We'll talk more about this later," Hiccup said. He picked up the little dragon and took off the scroll. He read it quietly.

"What does it say?" asked Astrid.

"Urgent message from the Defenders of the Wing," Hiccup said. "Mala needs our help." He read further. "And they have Serenity." The Draconians looked up at this.

"Are you sure?" Viper asked. Hiccup handed them the scroll, and they all read it.

"She's okay," said Phoenix happily. "I'll go tell Tenor." She took off and flew down to the stable roof. She landed in front of Tenor. He peeked out from under his wing.

"Hi Phoenix," he said miserably.

"Guess what, we have good news Tenor," Phoenix said, holding up the message. Tenor sat up and took it. He read it quietly, and his face lit up with relief.

"She's alive," he said happily. "It says they found her in a boat on their shores three days ago, in bad condition but she's now on the mend."

"And they've already told Re," Phoenix said. "You should go with the riders to get her, we'll hold down the Edge." Tenor got to his feet, he felt stiff from laying down for so long. He flew wobbly up to the clubhouse. The riders were just mounting their dragons.

"You coming too Tenor?" said Hiccup.

"Yes, my comrades are meeting us there most likely," Tenor said. They took off and headed for Mala's island.

When they got there, the village was alive with the defenders. They cheered as the riders flew over them. Re and Aurora arrived the same time they did. They all landed at the base of the Eruptadon statue. Mala came to greet them, Throck by her side. She seem very relieved to see them all.

"I'm glad you got our message," Mala said. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

"Is everything okay Mala?" Hiccup asked, concerned.

"Follow me," Mala said. They followed her to a pedestal that had burning hot coals on top of it, that was toasting a large grey egg.

"That's an Eruptadon egg," Hiccup said.

"It is," said Mala. "Unlike other dragons, the Eruptadon only produces a single egg in their lifetime. Our tribe has waited for centuries for our Great Protecter to have an heir, and now it has happened."

"So this should be a time for celebration," said Fishlegs. But they were greeted by solum expressions.

"The egg requires very special circumstances," Throck said.

"The Eruptadon is born of flame," Mala said. "It requires the life giving lava of the ancestral hatching site deep within the volcano."

"Why is it out here then?" asked Re. More solum expressions. Throck turned to Aurora.

"I'll show you to the infirmary," he said. "Serenity will be waking up by now." Aurora's eyes lit up. She exchanged a glance with Re. He nodded and followed the others. Aurora followed Throck to the infirmary.

"We would have alerted you sooner," Throck said. "But our Great Protecter hasn't been doing well since she laid the egg, you understand."

"Someday I will," Aurora said. "I hope to have eggs myself. Anyway we greatly appreciate you looking after Serenity." At that moment they arrived at the infirmary and entered. It was rather dark inside. There weren't many patients, one defender and one Speed Stinger. Serenity was asleep in the first bed. She was wearing the same black uniform as everyone else in the village. Aurora approached her bed.

"Can you give us a moment Throck?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, I'll be with the others," Throck said. He left and Aurora walked closer to the bed. She gently nudged Serenity. She woke up and saw her queen. She sat up.

"Aurora, your here," she said happily. She threw her arms the queen's neck. She was so happy to see Aurora after so long. Aurora wrapped her wings around Serenity.

"How are you doing sweetheart?" she whispered.

"I'm all right," Serenity said, refusing to let go. "I'm so glad you're here." She sniffed and sighed calmly. Aurora pulled back a bit and nuzzled her face.

"Are the others here too?" Serenity asked.

"Yes," said Aurora. "They're with Mala and Lavette."

"I want to see them," Serenity said. She stood up, but too fast. Aurora put her talon on Serenity's shoulder to steady her.

"Woah, not so fast," Aurora whispered. She sat on her haunches. "You feel well enough to go outside?"

"I think so," Serenity said. "If I feel bad, I'll come back here and rest."

"Take it easy," Aurora said. She stood up and Serenity followed her outside, leaning on her.

They found everyone on the rim of the volcano. The Eruptadon was laying on her side, breathing heavily. Throck was kneeling next to her. Mala was talking.

"The birth has weakened our already aged Great Protector," she said. "She can not fly to the nest site."

"Without proper nesting the egg will not hatch," said Throck, sadly. Everyone walked to the very edge of the volcano, it was filled nearly to the top with magma.

"It's up to us to get the egg to the sacred nesting site," said Mala, pointing to an opening on the inside wall of the crater, the magma was slowly creeping up towards it. "We must get it there before the magma reaches the tunnel. If the egg does not hatch, the Eruptadon will not have an heir and there will be no Eruptadon to keep the lava from destroying my people."

"We will get the egg safely to it's nest," Hiccup assured her. "I promise." At that moment Serenity and Aurora reached them.

"Re, Tenor," Serenity called to them. Everyone turned to see her and Aurora. Re and Tenor's faces lit up that had nothing to so with the glowing magma below. They ran over to her.

"Serenity you'er okay," Tenor said, his voice breaking. Serenity threw her arms around Tenor then Re.

"How'd you get away?" Re asked. Serenity tightened her grip on his neck, and buried her face in his warm scales.

"I stole a boat," she said. "Then used the stars to find my way here." Tenor beamed proudly. "I'm so glad your here."

"I'm so sorry we didn't rescue you," Re said.

"I'm sorry you got captured in the first place," Tenor said. Serenity let go, but leaned on Re since she still felt tired.

"You going to be okay?" Tenor asked. "You look exhausted."

"A bit faint," Serenity said. She leaned very heavily on Re's shoulder.

"You should go back to the infirmery," Aurora said. "This is not a safe place to pass out." She glanced down at the magma.

"I'll go with you," Tenor said. He didn't want to let his rider out of his sight again. Serenity sighed.

"What about Lavette?" she asked weakly.

"We'll worry about her," Aurora said. Serenity gave in.

"All right," she said. She moved from Re's shoulder to Tenor's. He escorted her from the rim. Re and Aurora rejoined the others. Toothless turned to them.

"How's she doing?" he asked them.

"She's weak," Aurora said. "She's not fully recovered from spending so long at sea. She'll be okay though."

"She got away all on her own?" asked Stormfly.

"She did," Re said. "She's a lot stronger then she seems." He smiled to himself. The dragons turned to watch the humans. Hiccup and Fishlegs glanced down at the tunnel.

"Looks like we have a small window to get the egg in, then get out," said Fishlegs. He and Hiccup exchanged a glance.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Hiccup. Everyone rolled their eyes, even the dragons. Both Hiccup and Fishlegs smiled.

"I'll fly the egg down," they both said in unison. Everyone seemed surprised at this. No one spoke for a few seconds.

"Uh Hiccup I think you mean I should fly the egg down," said Fishlegs. "Gronkles are better with lava."

"True," said Hiccup. "But a Night Fury is faster." Both Meatlug and Toothless looked worried. Their riders kept arguing.

"This isn't good," said Meatlug. "If they continue like this, it'll delay this egg from reaching its nest."

"Oh, I hope this doesn't cost the life of an innocent dragonet," Toothless said. "Lavette won't get another one." At that moment Mala broke up the argument.

"Gentlemen, we don't have time to argue," she said crossly. "Hiccup and the Night Fury will fly the egg down." That seemed to settle things.

A few minuets later Hiccup was suited up in black leather armor, similar to what the Defenders wore. Mala and Throck made sure it fit.

"Our armor is coated in a thick layer of heat resistant Eruptadon saliva," said Mala. Hiccup gagged in disgust, but didn't complain.

"It should protect you from the effects of the volcano," Throck said. Hiccup went over to Toothless.

"And speaking of heat resistant," he said, reaching into his saddlebag. He pulled out a tail fin, painted black with bright green flames. "Gronkle Iron tail fin, more heat resistant." Toothless held still as Hiccup swapped out tail fins. He put the red one back in the bag.

"Now all I need is the egg," Hiccup said glancing round.

"The egg is my responsibility," Mala said. "I'm going with you." She had a black satchel around her shoulders, the grey egg inside it. She headed for Toothless, but Throck stopped her.

"I should take it down," he insisted. "You're too important to loose." Mala smiled at him, flattered.

"A queen must do whatever it takes to save her people," she said, strongly. Aurora caught her eye. The Dragon Queen was smiling at her, indicating that she felt the same. Throck reluctantly backed off. Mala mounted Toothless behind Hiccup. They took off and dove into the crater. Everyone watched from the safety of the rim. The magma was getting higher. Toothless sped towards the tunnel. Unfortunately the volcano was restless, and kept spitting magma. Toothless dodged the hot fluid as best he could. The tail fin was very heavy and not as comfortable as the red fin. He pumped his wings and flew towards the tunnel, but the volcano spat magma at him and it narrowly missed his face. He turned around sharpish. He felt the lava hit the metal fin, and it burned. Hiccup steered them back to the rim.

"What's going on?" Mala asked, worried.

"If that tail goes, all three of us fall into the magma," Hiccup said. They crashed onto the rim, Toothless wrapped his wings around Mala, shielding her from the impact. They crashed to a stop near the Eruptadon. They got to their feet, Throck hoisted Mala to her feet.

"Hiccup what happened?" Astrid asked. But Throck spoke before Hiccup could

"Quick you must replace the Night Fury's tail," he said, panicked. "You have to get the egg to nesting site."

"I don't have another one," Hiccup said. "I suppose I could build one."

"No, there isn't time," said Mala. She pulled out egg. It had gotten dangerously pale. "The egg has spent too much time away from the nesting site. It requires the life giving lava."

"If it doesn't get there soon, it will become hard as stone," Throck said. "And it will never hatch, and it will die."

Aurora flew the egg back down to the plaza while the others hiked down. As she held it in her talons, she could feel the dragonet's heartbeat. It was rather weak. She landed in the plaza and set it back on its pedestal. It heated back up and started to turn black again. Aurora knew this would only buy them an extra hour or so. She sat on her haunches beside the egg as the others joined her. Mala gathered the other Defenders and informed them of what happened. They instantly panicked. Serenity and Tenor came out of the infirmary to see what the commotion was. Mala tried to reassure them. The Eruptadon had managed to fly down so she could be near her egg. Throck attended to her, with Serenity's help. Aurora and Re stood on either side of the pedestal. Hiccup turned to Fishlegs.

"Sorry about what happened Fishlegs," he said.

"It's fine Hiccup," said Fishlegs.

"I was hoping we can try again to come up with a solution together," Hiccup said.

"Sure, I've been giving this a lot of thought," said Fishlegs.

"Then you must be thinking what I'm thinking," said Hiccup, excitedly.

"I think so," said Fishlegs. But he said 'Lava bath', at the same time Hiccup said 'scale the wall'. Everyone rolled their eyes again.

"Lava bath?" said Hiccup. "We'd never be able to maintain its temperature, lava cools."

"Scale the wall, seriously?" said Fishlegs. Astrid intervened.

"Hey, remember how you both agreed that Gronkles are good in lava situations?" she said. "So, maybe Fishlegs and Meatlug should fly the egg down." Hiccup didn't look too thrilled about this. "Come on Hiccup. Eruptadon, Gronkles, both lava dragons and both Boulder Class dragons. We tried it your way, now we should try Fishlegs and Meatlug." Mala heard this.

"Excellent idea, we leave at once," she said, and that ended that argument. Mala turned to Re and Hiccup. "You two should come with us. We don't know what obstacles we'll face in there." Re nodded in agreement.

"I'm bringing Serenity along incase of injuries," he said. He called the dragon healer over and she mounted him. Mala packed up the egg again. She, Hiccup, and Fishlegs got on Meatlug and they all flew towards the crater.

They flew over the magma, towards the tunnel. Re managed to avoid the spitting magma and fire. Serenity held on tight, thankful that Re had brought her medical bag. They reached the ledge first and waited for the others. Meatlug was moving much slower, being extra careful with the magma. Mala was getting impatient.

"Can't this Gronkle go any faster?" she asked bitterly. But just then Meatlug stopped, and avoided a big splash of magma, that erupted right in front of them. Mala didn't complain again. They soon reached the tunnel and flew right into it. Re ran beside her at full speed. He managed to keep pace perfectly. They went farther and farther. For a while they saw nothing. It was very hot in the tunnel, but not unbearable yet. But then Re became alert, but without breaking his stride.

"What is it Re?" Serenity asked.

"I get the feeling we're not alone in here," he answered. "I hear tiny wingbeats and lots of them." He readied himself for a fight.

Up on the rim; Astrid, Toothless, and Aurora watched the tunnel anxiously. The magma was inching closer to it, and the volcano kept spitting.

"Ok, that magma is getting a little too close for comfort," Astrid said nervously, patting Toothless on the head. Both dragons crooned in agreement.

"Not to worry Astrid," said Throck. "Mala knows these tunnels more than anyone."

"But they've been gone for too long," said Astrid.

"It's only been fifteen minuets," Tenor said, trying to be reassuring. Throck looked down at the magma and tunnel.

"Yes, they should have been back by now," he said. "And that magma is getting close."

"Ok, then we're going to need to find a way down without dragons," said Astrid.

"We might have a plan," said Tuffnut. Before anyone could say anything, they mounted their Zippleback and took off. Throck turned to Aurora.

"Your king has dealt with volcanoes before?" he asked. Aurora lowered her head shyly.

"Well, never live ones," she said. "But he has good instincts." She sat on her haunches. She swished her tail back and forth anxiously.

Down in the tunnel Meatlug and Re continued forward. Mala glanced at the egg. It was getting pale again. Hiccup noticed this and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll make it Mala," he said. Meatlug picked up the pace and so did Re. Just then Fishlegs held up his lantern.

"Hey, what's this?" he asked. They came to a intersection and stopped. Meatlug landed. Re clawed the wall of the tunnel they had just come out of, to mark it. Then he and Serenity joined the others. They were looking at a cave drawing that showed a few Night Terror-looking dragons hovering over a large egg. Mala was looking at them, deep in thought.

"It is said that years ago our ancestors would come into these tunnels and sacrifice themselves for the good of the tribe," she said.

"Right, but what are these?" asked Fishlegs, pointing at the cave painting. Mala seemed to come back to the present.

"I've never seen those before," she said. Re was only half listening. He could still hear he flapping wings getting closer. He growled and tensed.

"Serenity," he said in a very serious voice. "Stay exactly where you are, and don't move." He growled again and whipped his tail back and forth. The others noticed.

"What's wrong Re?" Hiccup asked. But before Re could answer, there came loud screeches and wing flaps.

"What was that?" Fishlegs asked.

"I don't know," said Hiccup nervously. "Re, do you have any ideas?"

"Cave dragons," Re snarled. "And they sound pretty roused about something." He stepped forward, coiled his tail for a whiplash, flared his wings, and curled his lip. Just then they were all swarmed with hundreds of red cave dragons. They surrounded the group, screeching all at once. Many of them swamped Mala and tried to pull the back out of her grasp. She held on to it with both hands. Hiccup and Fishlegs tired to go to her aid, but was blocked by thousands of cave dragons. Re whipped his tail and snapped his jaws at any cave dragons that came near him, and a few got hit. They yelped and flew off. More cave dragons swarmed Mala and all pulled on the satchel. She pulled back, resulting in her getting dragged screaming into another tunnel. Hiccup and Fishlegs tried to go after them, but was still blocked. Re looked over his wing.

"Hold on tight," he said. Serenity gripped the reins and Re took off. Several cave dragons tried to stop him, but he barged through them with little effort. They kept trying to swarm him, but he was too fast and too aggressive for them. He shot fire at them, but they swallowed it. Re didn't let that stop him. He put all his muscle into it. Eventually the cave dragons pried the egg out of Mala's hands and flew off with it. Re jumped over her, and vanished into the darkness.

Up on the volcano's rim, the Twins returned from Berk carrying the capsule Hiccup had used to free the Submaripper. They set it down near the group.

"The diving bell, that you're brilliant plan?" said Snotlout. But Throck examined the capsule with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Actually this could work," he said. "If we could invert it, and coat it in Erupadon saliva. It won't last long, but it should last long enough to get down there and pull them back up. I'll get to work."

Down in the tunnel Meatlug flew after Re and Serenity with all three humans on her back. They flew as fast as they could. They didn't see Re or the cave dragons. Suddenly they arrived at another intersection, Re was in the middle of it. He looked frustrated.

"Did you get the egg?" Mala asked him.

"No, those cave dragons got the better of me," Re rumbled. He turned and marked the tunnel with his claws.

"Which way to we go now?" asked Mala, desperately.

"Right," said Hiccup.

"Left," said Fishlegs. They exchanged a look. Fishlegs panicked.

"Oh, what's wrong with us?" he asked.

"We're just not thinking clearly," said Hiccup. "We're under a lot of stress, we just need to clear our heads." Fishlegs calmed down a bit and they tried again.

"Right," said Fishlegs.

"Left," said Hiccup. Re shook his head in disappointment.

"Oh, maybe we're cursed," Fishlegs said.

"We're not cursed," said Hiccup. "Re, have you any thoughts?" Re glanced at him, looking irritated.

"I hate to break it to you two, but you can't actually read minds," he said. "I don't understand why you're so stressed about that." Before Fishlegs could answer, Hiccup noticed that Mala was gone.

"Where'd Mala go?" he asked worried. They looked around but she wasn't to be found.

"She's gone off on own," said Fishlegs.

"We have to find her," said Hiccup. They got on Meatlug and flew down the tunnel. Re ran after them.

Outside Throck had finished with the capsule. He and Astrid got into the cauldron and the Zippleback hoisted it up in their talons. Snotlout and the remaining dragons watched as the cauldron was lowered towards the magma, dodging the hot splashes. Soon they reached the tunnel. Barf and Belch swung it towards the tunnel. Unfortunately they were too far and the chain snapped under the weight of the cauldron mixed with the hot magma. The cauldron landed on the surface of the magma and bobbed there. The heat was intense and it smelled horrid. High on the rim everyone was panicking. Toothless grabbed Snotlout in his gums and hoisted him onto his saddle. Then all the dragons dove into the crater, including Tenor. Aurora watched this and an idea soon came to her. She took off, but headed for the village instead. She found Lavette on her feet. She seemed to have gotten her strength back. She looked up as Aurora landed in front of her.

"Queen Aurora, what news of my egg?" she asked.

"It's on its way," Aurora said. "But Throck and Astrid are stranded in the magma and they need your help." Lavette stiffened at this. "Are you well enough to fly?"

"Yes, I feel much better," Lavette said. She spread her wings and followed Aurora back to the crater.

Inside the tunnel Hiccup, Fishlegs, Serenity, and the two dragons eventually caught up with Mala. She looked angry.

"Leave me," she ordered. "I must finished this on my own." At that moment they found the cave dragons. Hiccup and Fishlegs pushed Mala behind a stalagmite. She got madder.

"Unhand me," she growled.

"Mala, sacrificing yourself won't do anyone any good," said Hiccup.

"Um Hiccup you should see this," said Fishlegs. Hiccup and Mala followed his gaze. He pointed to the cave dragons surrounding the egg. They were inspecting it and talking in Dragontongue. Re and Serenity exchanged a glance.

"Does it look like they're frustrated about not being able to crack the shell, or something else?" said Fishlegs.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" said Hiccup.

"You know, I think I am this time," said Fishlegs.

"We don't have time for any more indecision," said Mala. She ran out and confronted the cave dragons. She glared down at them.

"That is the egg of the Great Protecter," she said. "I demand you release it." The cave dragons just hissed and closed in around the egg. Re came up beside Mala.

"Queen Mala, let me speak with them," he said calmly. Mala considered, but then nodded. Re stared down at the cave dragons.

"Why do you want this egg so badly?" he asked firmly.

"We, are trying to help it," said one of the cave dragons sourly. "These humans are making it very hard."

"So you're not trying to eat it?" Serenity asked, dismounting.

"Certainly not," said the cave dragon. "We don't even eat eggs. The Eruptadon made an arrangement with our alpha. She said we could live in these tunnels if we help get her egg to it's hatching site. She wanted to make this arrangement because she knew her human neighbors wouldn't make it to the site before the place floods with magma."

"We can get there a lot faster than they can," said a different cave dragon. Re considered.

"Will you help us Dragon King?" asked the first cave dragon. "Will you help us help this egg?" Re noticed that Serenity was translating their conversation for Hiccup and Fishlegs. Hiccup caught Re looking at him. Re beckoned him over.

"Very well," Re said to the cave dragons. "These human will surrender the egg." Hiccup came over and picked up the egg. He then held it over his head. Mala looked shocked.

"What are you doing?" she asked as the cave dragons flew circled the egg.

"They're not hear to harm the egg, they're not predators," Hiccup explained. "They're here to help the egg get to his ancestral nest site."

"Those cave drawings we saw weren't a warning," said Fishlegs. "They were historical records, instructions for your people."

"They're trying to make sure we don't hurt the egg," said Hiccup.

"They have an agreement with the Eruptadon," Re said. "She's let them live in her volcano if they get her egg to its hatching site. She made so you guys wouldn't have to risk your lives so much." Mala seemed surprised. The cave dragons grabbed the egg again, and flew it deeper into the tunnel. Once it was gone, the group felt the grown shake.

"I think we should get out of here," said Hiccup. Meatlug turned to Re.

"You should go now," she said. Re nodded, and Serenity got back onto his back. They took off. He could hear Meatlug behind him. He picked up the pace, following the marks he'd made. Soon the tunnel widened and Re was able to fly, which was lucky as magma now began flooding the tunnel. It rose slowly, and Re put on a burst of speed. Serenity held on tight, but it was rather tricky since her hand were sweating and slick. But they reached the exit and flew out over the crater, Meatlug and her riders were right behind him. They spotted Snotlout waving at them from the rim, and pointed to something behind them. They all turned to see Throck and Astrid stranded in the cauldron, sitting right in the magma. Throck waved them over, his arm around Astrid. Meatlug hovered next to the cauldron. Throck hoisted Astrid onto Meatlug with the other three. She seemed to be suffering from heat exhaustion and couldn't hold herself up. Throck was about to climb on as well, when the cauldron sank deeper into the magma. Throck gave them a hopeless look.

"Go, save yourselves," he said. "That Gronkle clearly cannot take another person." They watched the cauldron sink farther. It seemed like Throck was going to be burned alive, when the cauldron was pulled out by the Eruptadon. She flew it back up to the rim. Meatlug followed with everyone else. Re turned to follow as well. But suddenly the volcano spat magma, and it landed right on the membrane of Re's wings. He howled and almost fell into the magma, burning the tips of is wings and tail.

"Re!" Serenity cried. "You think you can get to the rim?" Re didn't answer. He pumped his wings, ignoring the pain. He flew to the rim near the others. The minuet he cleared the rim, he crashed onto solid stone. Serenity was thrown from the saddle and rolled away. Aurora and Tenor hurried over. Tenor helped Serenity to her feet. She ran over to Re, who was still down. She got her bag off his saddle and kelt beside his wings. The Berkians and Defenders gathered around to see if Re would fly again.

"Thank you for your help in there King Re," Mala said. Re looked up at her.

"You're welcome," he said weakly. "I was glad to help." He tensed up from the pain. Serenity was examining his wings. The magma had burned big, nasty holes in the membrane. She looked at Mala.

"Do you have a lake or large river?" she asked. "I should get him in cold water."

"Yes," Mala said. Lavette flew Re down to a large lake near the village. She lowered him right into the water, making sure both his wings were submerged. Re relaxed as he felt the cool water sooth his burning wings. He laid on his belly and stretched his wings out so all his burns would feel the soothing water. Everyone gathered on the lake's shore, and Serenity continued her work. The riders and defenders were calming down from the day's events. Mala and Throck watched Serenity work with Aurora and Tenor.

"Will he fly again?" Mala asked.

"Yes," Serenity said. "But not for a while. He will have to remain here until he can fly again."

"We'll stay here with him," Aurora said.

"No," Re said, sitting up. "You and Tenor must keep fighting these dragons hunters."

"Without you?" Tenor asked, shocked.

"Yes, without me," Re confirmed. "I'll join you when I can fly again."

"But we can't fight this war without your leadership," Tenor protested.

"Yes you can," Re said calmly. "Just keep doing what we've been doing. You'll be fine." Aurora and Tenor looked at each other. They both nodded sadly.

"Don't worry," Serenity said. "I'll stay with him while he heals. He'll be flying again very soon."

"You should take it easy for a while too," Re told her. "You're still recovering from your ordeal."

"We'll help in any way we can," Throck said.

"Thank you," Re said. He settled into the cold water, spreading his wings wide, and laid his head on a soft patch of moss. Serenity sat next to him.

"You're also welcome to use the infirmary," Mala said. "We have many remedies to use on burns.

"Thank you," Serenity said, smiling.

"You should be happier," Re said. "We go the egg to safety, and now it will hatch into a young Eruptadon."

"Yes, and our village is safe once more," Mala said.

"Father will be pleased," Aurora said, relaxing.

Aurora said good bye to her soulmate and to Serenity, then she and Tenor followed the Berkians back towards Dragon's Edge, without their king.


	10. Twintuition

Twintuition

Serenity was sitting by the lake on Eruptadon Island. Re was asleep in a patch of sunlight. His wings were still healing, and he still found it too painful to fly. But he walked around the island and swam in the lake when the burns on his wings hurt him. Serenity checked them everyday. She put Night Fury saliva on his burns and it helped relieve the pain. Serenity could tell he miss his comrades, especially Aurora. They rarely stopped by, since they were busy helping the riders fight Viggo.

Serenity glanced over at her king. He was awake, but hadn't moved. She went over and sat beside him. She stroked his neck.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

"I'm alright," he said. "Just relaxing, so I don't have to move my wings so much."

"You hungry?" Serenity asked. Re shook his head. Serenity leaned back and kept stroking him, and didn't say anything else. Re took a few deep breaths and relaxed. He laid his head on her lap and she stroked his snout.

"You missing Dragon's Edge?" he asked lazily.

"Not really," Serenity said. "I like it here. I don't feel trapped here." Re smiled. "What about you, do you miss the Edge?"

"No, I miss my comrades, but I don't miss the Edge," Re said.

"They have a volcano too you know," Serenity said. Re smiled at her.

"It's not a volcano until the top blows off," he said. "But I'm sure it'll be a volcano soon."

"Do you know what kind of volcano it will be?" Serenity asked. "I remember you said there's many types."

"Composite, most likely," Re said with a moan. "Like Mt. Earth. They're the prettiest. Calderas are probably the most dangerous, they're very big and cause a lot of damage."

"When did you decide to study volcanoes?" Serenity asked.

"When I discovered what they can do," Re said. "When I found out that a mountain could breath fire."

"Are you hoping the volcano on Dragon's Edge erupts?" Serenity asked.

"I hope it erupts, but doesn't mean I want it to hurt people," Re said. "Volcanic eruptions are quite exciting to look at. There's ash, lava bombs, lava, even lightning."

"Lightning!?" Serenity said.

"Yeah, it comes out of the ash clouds," Re explained. "Like it does with normal clouds."

"So volcanoes don't just breath fire, they breath every kind of fire at once," Serenity said.

"Yes," Re said. "Volcanoes are probably the most dangerous dragons on Earth." He winced when he felt his burns again. "I'm going back into the water." Serenity got up and Re heaved himself to his feet. He kept his wings extended since it hurt to fold them. He waded into the lake, then dove into the deeper water. Serenity sat on a rock to wait for him.

On Dragon's Edge the other Draconians were watching the dragon riders perform tests to see if they could find a way to break dragon proof chains. So far they've had little success so far. The Draconians were a bit distraught with their king grounded and out of action. They knew Serenity was taking good care of him, but they still missed him. Aurora and Tenor had taken over in his place and managed just fine, but they missed him too.

They all walked along the outside of the training arena and watched the tests. No matter how much fire the dragons shot at the chain, it wouldn't give. The Draconians tried breaking it as well, but they couldn't do it either. The only ones who hadn't tried however, were the Twins and their Zippleback. The other riders snapped at them to get on their feet. After a few attempts Ruff and Tuff got to their feet, babbling on about twintition.

"We will break the chain!" said Tuffnut. Ruffnut pulled out Tuffnut's mace. The Draconians watched rather smugly.

"I'll bet you a diamond coin the mace breaks the chain," Viper said to Heddrod.

"I'll bet you five diamonds the chain breaks the mace," said Heddrod.

"You're on," Viper said bumping her wing against his. They watched as Tuffnut ran towards the chain. Ruffnut threw him the mace and he caught it. He brought it down as hard as he could onto the chain with a loud clang. Tuffnut raised the mace in triumph. But then he turned and saw that the chain was undamaged. He looked at the mace again in time to see the spiked head fall off the handle. This made Tuffnut go into hysterics. Viper scowled as she handed five diamonds to Heddrod. He pocketed them and left. Tuffnut continued crying on the ground next to the broken mace. The riders wrapped up the experiments and returned to their huts, Tuffnut dragging the broken mace. Astrid taught the Draconians Maces and Talons to help take their minds off their downed king. They found the game entertaining and learned it easily. They played a few matches in the clubhouse and found it a good distraction. Aurora and Tenor backed out when their fellows started placing bets. They flew back down to the arena to study the chain further. They looked at it.

"You think your magic could break it?" Tenor asked. Aurora lifted one claw at touched the chain. There was a loud snap and a hiss, and the chain broke in two.

"I might be able to use my magic to break the chains, but I would have to disguise it," she said.

"Are there times when you're tempted to use your magic to wipe out the hunters?" Tenor asked.

"There are," Aurora said. "But Father warned me about how magic can so easily corrupt. He wants me to use magic responsibly. There are lots of dragons who can break these chains." She sighed sadly and lowered her head. Tenor could guess why.

"I miss Re too," he said. "But he's just grounded, he's not dead."

"I know," Aurora said. "But I still feel lost without him." She leaned closer to Tenor side. She could feel him tense up for a brief moment, she also heard his heart pick up. She relaxed and chuckled.

"Calm down Tenor," she said. "When you find a mate you're going to have to get used to this." She stepped a bit closer to him. Tenor pinned his ears back bashfully. "You know Tenor I think the reason Father hasn't given you a mate yet is not because you look different, but because you're not ready for one yet. I mean look at you. The closer I get the more uncomfortable to you get."

"I don't know what to do about that," Tenor said. "I don't have anyone to practice with, except a human." Aurora touched her wing to his and felt him shutter.

"It's ok," she said. "I'm not going to hurt you, in any way. You've suffered too much pain." Tenor relaxed and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Will I ever be ready?" he asked.

"Yes you will be," Aurora said. "I can foresee it." The two dragons headed for Skywalker as the sun went down.

Later that night Hiccup and Toothless were sound asleep, when the front door was banged open and Ruffnut called for Hiccup. He jumped out of bed and hurried downstairs, Toothless right behind him. Ruffnut tossed Tuffnut into the room. Tuff was still crying over his broken mace. Hiccup sighed in irritation. Toothless sat on his haunches patiently.

"Ok, I'm going back to bed," Hiccup said yawning. He turned to go back upstairs.

"No wait, Hiccup you have to fix her," Tuffnut begged. Toothless watched all this with mild interest.

"Tuffnut it's the middle of the night," Hiccup said. "The forge isn't lit and Meatlug sleeping."

"Please Hiccup," Tuffnut begged. "She's all I have."

"If it's that important fly to Berk, I'm sure Gobber will be happy to fix it," Hiccup said.

"All the way back to Berk?" said Tuffnut.

"Or the Northern Markets," said Ruffnut.

"Oh yeah, that's closer," Tuffnut agreed.

"And it's way too dangerous," Hiccup said. "It's crawling with hunters."

On the deck of Skywalker Tenor was wide awake. Aurora was asleep next to him. Tenor couldn't really sleep, partially due to his nocturnal instincts and partially because he missed Re. He got to his feet, quietly so he didn't wake Aurora. He spread his wings and flew off. He circled the island to clear his head. He didn't feel hungry at all, so he didn't hunt. But he kept flying. He spotted Snotlout and Hookfang flying a mile below him on their night patrol. He then spotted Ruffnut and Tuffnut flying off on their Zippleback. They headed north and were out of sight in minuets. Tenor flew down and pulled up alongside Hookfang.

"Where are they going?" Tenor asked Snotlout.

"Ah, probably looking for a way to fix that dumb mace," Snotlout said smugly.

"In the middle of the night?" Tenor asked.

"Yeah, the Twins never make sense," Snotlout said. "Why are you out here in the middle of the night?"

"I'm nocturnal," Tenor said innocently. "I can take over for you, you can go to bed if you want." Snotlout seemed very happy with this news.

"Thanks Tenor, I owe you one," he said. He steered Hookfang towards the stables. Tenor flew off to pick up the night patrol.

The following day the riders and dragons continued their experiments. The Draconians stayed in the clubhouse, continuing their Maces and Talons matches. Aurora went hunting and Tenor flew in from his patrol. He circled the arena. All the dragons fired at the chain which had been replaced during the night. When the fire went out Hiccup and Fishlegs examined the chain. It was hot but undamaged.

"Finally we're getting somewhere," said Hiccup.

"You know with the Twins and their Zippleback on Berk it's a lot easier to get thing done," said Fishlegs. Tenor landed at that moment.

"They were going to Berk?" he asked folding his wings.

"Yeah, they were going to fix Macey," Hiccup said.

"Berk is west of here," Tenor said. "And last night I saw them flying north." Hiccup looked horrified at this.

"Oh no," he growled. He ran to Toothless. "They're going to get themselves killed." He mounted up, the others followed. Hiccup looked at Tenor.

"Fly ahead to the Northern Market and see if you can find them," he ordered. Tenor nodded and took off. He was out of sight in seconds. Hiccup flew up to the clubhouse. Aurora had returned and was watching her dragons play Maces and Talons. Morpho was playing Ruby, and the rest of them were placing bets. Gold and silver coins were piled next to the board. They glanced up when Hiccup and Toothless entered.

"We need you guys to come to the Northern Markets with us," Hiccup said. "Ruffnut and Tuffnut maybe in danger." The Draconians exchanged a nervous glance.

"You mean go into enemy territory without our king?" said Heddrod nervously. Aurora stood up.

"Re put me in charge while he's recovering," she said with strength and authority. "I am your queen, and I saw we all go." The dragons got to their feet. "You can finish your games when we come back." The dragons spread their wings and took off.

"Thanks Aurora," Hiccup said. Aurora nodded.

"Re would have done it," she said. She spread her wings and followed the others, Hiccup and Toothless beside her.

They flew north as fast as they could. The Draconians were still nervous, but they had faith in their queen. They flew behind her. They were all about half way to the market when Morpho pulled up beside Aurora.

"You majesty, we had a discussion while you were hunting," he said. "We think it's time to bring in bigger dragons." Aurora looked at him and saw the idea in his head.

"Mountainbacks," she whispered.

"The hunters wouldn't stand a chance against them," Morpho said. "They're indestructible." Aurora considered.

"Perhaps," she said. "I can foresee the Mountainbacks coming here to help us, bringing with them their closest allies, the Feathered Serpents. I will speak with Re and Tenor." Morpho returned to his spot. They flew onward.

Tenor reached the market and looked around for the Twins. He spotted them leaving the forge following a hunter. Tenor circled above them as they headed for the docks. The Twins smuggled their way onto a hunting ship. The ship pulled out and headed out to sea. Tenor had to make a quick decision. He spotted Barf and Belch in the forest below. He flew down and circled the Zippleback.

"When Hiccup and the others get here, tell them I followed the Twins out," he said quickly. He then took off again before the other dragon could say anything.

He followed the ship all the way to a small island that was swamped with hunters. Tenor flew over the biggest shipyard he'd ever seen. In the middle of it was a massive ship made of solid metal. Tenor landed on a ledge that was high enough that he'd go unnoticed, and low enough that he could see everything that was happening. He killed the sentry posted there, and took his spot. His black scales blended in with the dark rock and the shadows. He watched the activity below. The hunters gathered at the base of a higher level of the shipyard where Viggo and Ryker were perched. Tenor's powerful eyes picked out the Twins in seconds. He kept his eyes on them as Viggo started talking.

"My fellow hunters," Viggo said. "Soon the dragon riders will be a distant memory. But time is no longer on our side. That's why it is important that we complete Project Shelfire in a timely manner. Only then will we reclaim the seas that by all rights belong to us." Tenor rolled his yes.

"Keep talking Viggo," he said under his breath, as he watched the Twins like a hawk. They wondered the shipyard. Then they split up. Tuffnut followed the hunter with his mace. The hunter came to a stop near some boxes and put the mace down. Viggo picked it up and Tenor could almost feel the suspicion on Viggo's face.

"Where did you get this?" Viggo said.

"I got it off a dragon rider I defeated," the hunter said. Viggo must have been glaring at him because he caved in. "All right. I stole it from a pair of dragon hunters who got it off a dragon rider."

"Which two hunters?" Viggo asked.

"A pair of twins with blond hair and skinny bodies," the hunter said. Viggo turned to Ryker and the other hunters.

"Project Shelfire has been infiltrated," he said. "Find the dragon riders and bring them to me." The hunters disbursed. Tenor looked at the large vessel. It didn't have any sails so Tenor figured they would power it some other way. But he couldn't think how. Aurora said steam engines wouldn't be invented for hundreds more years. It looked too heavy be lifted into the air, so it wasn't a rival airship.

"What are you up to Viggo?" Tenor asked. He was tempted to fly down and inspect the ship, but resisted and stayed where he was. He watched the Twins run around below.

Night soon fell and Tenor was able to circle the ship. The darkness cloaked him as usual. He spotted Ruffnut pretending to work on the ship. She waited until some hunters passed by then ran down the steps of the rigging, only to be captured by Ryker and dragged off to Viggo's tent. Tenor silently glided down behind the tent and kept to the shadows. He heard Viggo interrogating Ruffnut, but was having trouble. Tenor took off again and circled the shipyard. He spotted Tuffnut still following his mace.

"Oh let it go Tuffnut," Tenor muttered. But both he and Tuffnut spotted the same thing at the same time. The hunters tied Ruffnut to a post in the middle of the shipyard. Tuffnut ran down to rescue her. Tenor's instincts told him to stay hidden. He landed in the darkest shadow he could find. He snuck up behind several hunters about to run after Tuffnut, and killed them each without them even seeing him. He managed to get at least five of them before they all ran into the shipyard after Tuffnut. Tenor took off before he was seen. Tuffnut ran into the forest with four hunters after him. Tenor followed them from the air. He swooped down and killed one of them. Tuff ran until he hit a cliff and avoided going over. He turned and faced the hunters. Tenor circled around. Tuffnut ran at the hunters and managed to knock two of them out, but was then tackled by the third who just happened to be holding the mace. The hunter banged him on the head with the mace and knocked him out. Tenor made his move. He swooped down and snagged the hunter in his talons. He flew over the cliff and dropped the hunter into the ocean. He landed back on the cliff next to the mace which the hunter had dropped. He clamped the mace in his jaws and waited for Tuffnut to come round.

When he did he sat up and saw Tenor standing there, the mace in his teeth. Tuffnut jumped to his feet.

"Oh, Tenor thank you," he cried. "You saved her." Tenor handed him the mace. "I will never forget this Tenor." Just then more hunters came. Tenor and Tuffnut took a fighting stance. When the hunters were close enough, Tenor shot his purple fire at them, burning them. Just then Tenor heard a Night Fury's whistle. He and Tuffnut looked up to see the other Berkians and Draconians fly overhead. Tuffnut turned to Tenor.

"Tenor will you join Macy and I in rescuing my sister?" he asked valiantly. Tenor smiled.

"Certainly," he said. Tuffnut mounted him and they took off into the woods.

Meanwhile the riders searched the shipyard for the Twins. The Draconians circled higher above, providing cover. Viggo signaled to the hunters over by the big doors that lead to the sea. The hunters pulled the leaver, opening the big gates and water came flooding in around the ship, and Ruffnut.

"They're going to drown her!" cried Fishlegs.

"Fishlegs, Snotlout, you get Ruffnut," Hiccup said. "Astrid and I will take out the archers." The riders spilt up. Astrid and Hiccup fired at the archers, while dodging the arrows. Fishlegs flew down to Ruffnut while Snotlout headed for the leaver. The water got deeper and deeper. Fishlegs managed to cut Ruffnut free. But more arrows were flying at them. The hunters managed to get Hiccup and Astrid out of the air, and the minuet they hit the deck of the ship the hunters lowered the chained dome over the shipyard, trapping them all. The hunters then opened the gate wider. Water got even higher. Hiccup looked up at the center link, ignoring Viggo's gloat.

"Dragons focus all your fire on the center link," he said.

"But we didn't finish the experiments," said Fishlegs.

"It's the only way," said Hiccup. So all the dragons fired on the center link. It didn't break, but it glowed red. They kept hitting it. Just then they heard Tuffnut letting out a war cry. He rode into the camp on Tenor's back. He banged several hunters in the head with his mace, while Tenor killed several more with his teeth. When they reached the edge of the shipyard, Tuffnut threw the mace towards the gate and it jammed right between the gears, stopping the gate. Just then more hunters advanced on them. Tenor killed several of them. The other Draconians flew in and attacked more hunters. Meanwhile the gears of the gate had put too much pressure on the mace and it broke the spiked head into pieces and launched the handle back to where Tuffnut and Tenor stood. The gate continued to open and the water continued to pour in. The Draconians set the place ablaze and killed more hunters. Tenor was about to kill the hunters advancing on him and Tuffnut when Barf and Belch landed on top of them.

"Great timing," Tenor said.

"Yeah, about time you two showed up," said Tuffnut irritated. He got on Belch's saddle and the Zippleback took off. The water was about to clear the riders' and dragons' heads. The dragons aimed another round of shots when they realized they were out.

"Oh no, they're out," said Hiccup panicking. But at that moment, Tuffnut hovered over the chained dome on the Zippleback.

"Come on guys, lets finish this off," Tuffnut exclaimed. Barf and Belch blasted the center link. It shattered and the way was clear for the other Berkians. The riders quickly mounted their dragons and took off. Tuffnut landed the Zippleack on the ship's deck and Ruffnut got on Belch's saddle. Then they all joined the Draconains in the sky and they left the shipyard far behind.

They flew back to the Edge. The Draconians went to the clubhouse to finish their Maces and Talons game. But when they got there, they found Re and Serenity in the clubhouse waiting for them. Their faces lit up. The burns on Re's wings were wrapped in an odd grey substance that shimmered slightly.

"Re, you're back!" Viper cried. Aurora pranced over to her mate and nuzzled him. He nuzzled her back, happy to be with his family again. Tenor greeted Serenity just as happily. Morpho looked at the king's injuries.

"What's that stuff on you wings your majesties?" he asked.

"Tilapia skins," Serenity said. "They're great for sever burns. I attached them using Night Fury saliva so they'll stay on better. They'll heal those burns up faster, and more painless with minimal scaring."

"Fish skins?" said Heddrod, surprised.

"Yeah, this the only type of fish skins that work though," Serenity said. "Vitamin was nice enough to send me a thick roll of them. It works on both humans and dragons. I figured Re wouldn't mind wearing another animal's scales for a short while, and he can eat them afterwords." Re beamed.

"My wings feel better already," he said. Aurora nuzzled him again and snuggled closer to him.

"I missed you," she said, tears of joy in her eyes.

"I missed you too," Re said. "It was a slow couple of days without you." Then he spotted the game board and the pile of gold and silver beside it.

"Astrid taught us Maces and Talons," Phoenix said. "We were playing it, and placing a few bets." Re said nothing, but didn't seem to disapprove. Aurora looked at Serenity.

"Thank you for your help," she said.

"You're welcome," Serenity said. "I've been looking for an opportunity to try those tilapia skins." She stroked Tenor's neck.

"We all have an idea we'd like to discuss with you your majesty," Morpho said.

"You can tell me about in the morning," Re yawned. "I'm feeling kind of tired."

"We should all get to bed," Aurora said. The Draconians packed up the game board and headed for Skywalker. They told Re all that had happened in his absence. When they got to the ship, Serenity went to her room with Tenor. Re and Aurora curled up together beside the warm furnace. Aurora snuggled up to Re again, her nose wrinkling slightly from the strong oder coming from the tilapia skins. She yawned.

"I'm so glad you're back," she whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you." She rested her head on his shoulder. Re wrapped his wings around her.

"You're my whole world Aurora," he said. "I can't imagine a world without you either." He pulled her closer. He could sense that she wasn't completely happy. "Something's missing isn't it?" Aurora sighed.

"An egg," she said.

"You really want to hatch an egg with all these hunters on the loose?" Re asked.

"Of course not," Aurora said.

"I don't think you're ready yet anyway," Re said. Aurora gave him an exasperated look.

"I raised a human," she said. "I think a dragonet would easy compared to that." Re smiled sheepishly.

"Of course, forget I said that," he said. "I guess it's just me that's not ready, emotionally anyway." His smile faded. Aurora could hear where his mind had gone. She nuzzled his snout.

"It's okay," she said gently. "I'm sure Chris would want you be happy. He wouldn't mind if you hatched dragonets. But you can take as much time as you want." Re laid his head down and Aurora laid her head beside his. She licked his face and fell asleep, and he followed suit.

The next morning Hiccup and Toothless casually watched the Twins holding a small funeral for the mace. At that moment Re landed beside Toothless.

"Re, you're back," Hiccup said.

"I am, these fish skins really help," Re said, gesturing to the tilapia skins. "What are those two doing?" He looked at the Twins.

"Ah, Tuffnut's mace was broken in battle and now they're holding a viking funeral for it," Hiccup explained.

"Yes, Tenor told me what happened last night," Re said. "He certainly had fun." Hiccup and the two dragons watched the Twins wrapping up their little funeral. When it was finished Tuffnut turned to Hiccup.

"I know what you're going to say, our twintuition almost got ourselves and the whole team killed," Tuff said.

"Uh, yeah," Hiccup said. Then Tuffnut reached into his pocket.

"But if it weren't for our twintuition would we have managed to get these," Tuff whipped out a scroll and opened it, showing Hiccup what was on it. Hiccup wasn't impressed. Tuff looked at the content of the paper, and realized it was up side down. He flipped it over and showed it Hiccup again. Hiccup looked closer at it and realized what it was.

"It's the plans for something big," Tuffnut said. Re glanced at the plans as well.

"Project Shelfire?" he said, reading the caption at the top. They all flew up to the clubhouse, gathering the others. Hiccup placed the plans on the table and they all looked at it.

"What's all this for?" asked Astrid.

"It must be plans for that ship they were building back there," Tenor said.

"Whatever it is, I don't think it's for hunting dragons," Hiccup said with a sense of foreboding. Just then the other Draconians landed on the board walk.

"Excuse us please," Re said. "My comrades and I need to discuss what to do next." He and his comrades flew off, heading for Skywalker's deck.


	11. Blindsided

Blindsided

Serenity was sitting on Tenor's back at the edge of a clearing at the base of the mountain. Astrid and Hiccup were working on training the Triple Stryke. They were having little luck as Sleuther was still wild and scared. He kept lashing out with his three barbed tails, and shooting fire. Serenity watched rather sadly. She wanted to help train him, but Hiccup and Astrid insisted they could do it without her. Tenor couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He knew they weren't doing it to just be mean, he understood their reason for not allowing her to help. But he wished Serenity would be happier. They watched the training in silence. Sleuther charged at Hiccup. Toothless ran between his rider and the Stryke, ready to fight back.

"Toothless, no," Hiccup said. "We're trying to train it." Toothless backed off.

"How can we train it if we can't even get close to it?" Astrid asked from the back of Stormfly.

"Well you can't blame him," Hiccup said. "The last humans he dealt with forced him to fight other dragons to the death."

"Hiccup maybe we should make room for the possibility that the Triple Stryke is untrainable," said Astrid.

"We're making progress, we just have to find a way to get to him," Hiccup said. "To get him to fight with us and not against us."

"I could help," Serenity said, almost begging now. Hiccup sighed. He knew Serenity wanted to help, but he didn't want her to do their work for them either.

"I'll tell you what Serenity," Hiccup said. "If you let us train this dragon, then I promise you can help us train the next one. We'll no doubt find new ones." Serenity took a deep breath, and calmed herself down.

"All right," she said. She dismounted and sat on the grass at Tenor's feet. The only reason she was there to begin with was because her medical bag had the antidote to the Triple Stryke's venom. She leaned against a fallen tree and looked up at the sky. Dark storm clouds had rolled in and Serenity could smell rain in the air. She didn't glance around when Fishlegs flew up to them and alerted them to the coming storms. Rain started to fall. Hiccup and Astrid mounted their dragons and flew off with Fishlegs. When they were gone Serenity got to her feet again. She didn't even notice the rain, it suited her mood perfectly. She looked over at Sleuther. He seemed calmer now that there were fewer humans around. Serenity walked over to him.

"What are you doing?" Tenor asked.

"I refuse to sit around and do nothing," Serenity said. "I'm going to at least say hello to him." Tenor swallowed his protest. Serenity got closer to the wild dragon. He looked up at her. He growled.

"You're all right Sleuther," she whispered. "I'm not apart of the group that lives here." Sleuther relaxed a bit. He seemed surprised at a human speaking to him in his own tongue, but didn't say anything about it.

"You're getting wet," he said. "You should find shelter."

"I will," Serenity said. "Being wet doesn't bother me much." Sleuther tilted his head.

"Does the rain make you sad?" he asked. "You look very sad."

"No, the rain's fine," Serenity said. "I don't like being useless. I'm not really supposed to talk to you."

"Are those humans mean to you?" Sleuther asked.

"No, they're nice to me," Serenity said. "They just want to get to my level without my help."

"But they make you sad," Sleuther said, it wasn't a question.

"Not intentionally," Serenity said. Thunder boomed overhead.

"We should get back to the base," Tenor said. Serenity turned back to him.

"Will you come back and see me again?" Sleuther asked. Serenity smiled.

"If I can," she said. Sleuther took off. Serenity rejoined Tenor and mounted him.

They flew back to the outpost. Astrid was telling everyone what to do as they all readied the place for the storm fronts heading their way. Astrid spotted Serenity landing Tenor on Skywalker's deck. The airship had been moved to the cliff next to the outpost so it was less exposed to the lighting. Astrid landed Stormfly beside them.

"Hey, why don't you guys head to the clubhouse, it's more stable," Astrid said.

"All right," Serenity said wearily. "I just want to tie this ship down, so the wind doesn't blow it away." Astrid helped tie the ship down. When it was secure Serenity flew up to the clubhouse. She went in and dismounted. Tenor went to a corner and laid down. Serenity sat beside him. They waited for the others. More thunder boomed outside.

"You're still sad," Tenor said.

"Ah, it this storm," Serenity said. "Reminds me of that storm all those years ago." Tenor's eyes softened. "It started just like this one." She clutched her locket in her fist.

"It won't last forever," Tenor said. "Then we can go flying again. We can even fly blindfolded if you want." That made her smile.

"I hope I haven't lost my touch," she said.

Before long the riders filed into the stables. Toothless was the only dragon with them, since he didn't have a stall. They closed all the doors and locked them. Astrid turned to Hiccup.

"Did you drop off the food and water?" she asked.

"Yup," Hiccup confirmed. "All the troughs are full." Fishlegs closed the last door.

"All the dragons are safe in their pens," he said, slightly out of breath.

"Did you close the main doors?" asked Astrid.

"Of course," said Fishlegs, but then he got nervous. "But then again I might not have." Astrid sighed.

"I'll go check," she said.

"I'll go with you," Tenor said. Astrid didn't protest and the two of them left the clubhouse. Astrid zip lined down to the stables and Tenor flew down beside her. Just then a lightning bolt struck the roof of the stables, setting on fire. Astrid opened the doors. The roof started caving in. The dragons were panicking in their stalls. Astrid and Tenor split up and started letting the trapped dragons out of their stalls. They quickly flew outside as more debris fell. Soon most of the dragons were released, including the Night Terrors that were taking shelter in there as well. Astrid spotted one last Night Terror stuck in a stall with a beam blocking his way out.

"Tenor over there," Astrid said, alerting Tenor. They ran over to the stall. Tenor blasted the beam and Astrid pried the door open as another lightning bolt struck the building. The Night Terror flew outside. Tenor headed for the door with Astrid right behind him. She made it to the door when lightning hit the deck just inches in front of her eyes. One minuet she saw Tenor's retreating tail, and the next all she saw was darkness.

Tenor ran outside when he heard the lightning hit. He turned around in time to see Astrid flying backwards. She hit the floor of the stables and lay there unmoving. Hiccup and Toothless landed beside Tenor.

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried. He jumped off Toothless and ran over to Astrid. "Tenor what happened?"

"I don't know my back was turned," Tenor said. "She must have gotten knocked back by that lightning bolt." More debris fell. Hiccup picked Astrid up and carried her to Toothless. He got her onto the saddle and got on behind her. They took off and flew back to the clubhouse.

Once they were inside and the doors closed, Tenor returned to Serenity's side. Hiccup laid Astrid on her back with her head resting on a pillow.

"What happen?" asked Fishlegs.

"I don't know," said Hiccup. "Tenor?"

"The stables were on fire and collapsing," Tenor explained. "We freed the dragons. I made it out just before a bolt of lightning hit the deck. I turned around and Astrid was on the floor."

"Where's Hookfang?" Snotlout asked.

"Did you see Barf and Belch?" asked Tuffnut.

"I'm sure all the dragons are fine," Hiccup said. "They got spooked by the storm and flew off. But they'll be back. Right now I'm worried about Astrid." They all looked down at her. Astrid's face was all black from the smoke. Just then she came around and opened her eyes. But her eyes automatically went wide and blank.

"Hiccup?" she said, sitting up. "What's going on? Why's it so dark in here?" Everyone went silent.

"It's not dark in here," Hiccup said with a sense of dread.

"What do you mean? It's pitch black. I can't see a thing," Astrid said. She sounded genially scared. No one said anything. Astrid got to her feet and stumbled about like a mummy with her arms outstretched. "Someone say something." Tenor let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Guys let me talk to her," Hiccup said calmly. The riders went to the opposite side of the room, just out of earshot. Serenity sat down in the farthest corner and put her hat over her eyes. Tenor flew up to the ceiling and perched on the rafters. Hiccup guided Astrid to a chair, sat her down in it, and sat in a chair beside her.

"What's happening to me?" Astrid asked shakily.

"Whatever it is I'm sure it's temporary," Hiccup said. "You remember when Bucket lost his sight, he got it back."

"And now he wear's a metal bucket on his head," said Astrid. "Permanently."

"Look when the weather clears we'll fly to Berk and see Gothi," Hiccup said. "I'm sure she'll have a solution." Astrid took a deep breath.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do," she said. Hiccup took her hand in his.

"I can't imagine what this might be like for you," he said. "We're going to find a solution. But for now you need rest."

"No, I need to find Stormfly," Astrid said, scared again. "She's out there alone and scared, all the dragons are."

"And we're going to find them," Hiccup assured her. "But you need to rest first." Astrid gave in, since she did feel worn out. She laid back down on the spot she'd woken up in earlier.

"Hiccup, are you still there?" she asked.

"Yes I'm here," Hiccup said softly.

"Will you and Toothless stay with me until I fall asleep?" Astrid asked.

"Of course," Hiccup said. "We're not going anywhere." Toothless laid down beside them, curling his tail around them. It all fell silent after a while. Toothless looked up where his cousin was still perched.

"You think Astrid will get her sight back?" Toothless asked softly in dragontongue, knowing Tenor could hear him clearly.

"Maybe, maybe not," Tenor said. "But being blind doesn't make one helpless. I know a dragon back home that was born blind. She can't see a thing yet she knows every inch her house and crop fields. She's also one of the best fighters in her village."

"She uses sounds and smells?" Toothless asked.

"Yup," Tenor said. "Her sense of smell would put a Rumblehorn to shame, and her ears can pick up sounds even I can't hear. She has also memorized every texture."

"That does sound pretty cool," Toothless said. "What's her name?"

"Tamarin," said Tenor.

"It must be so hard being blind," Toothless said.

"At first," Tenor said. "But Tamarin says loosing one sense makes your other ones much stronger. Even if Astrid has lost her sight for good, she still has four other sense she can see the world in different ways."

"That's true," Toothless agreed. "Like when you and I have to rely on my hearing when it's too dark to see."

"Yeah," Tenor said.

"But do you think there is away to fix Astrid's eyes?" Toothless asked.

"That is not a question for me," Tenor said. He looked down at his rider, who was now asleep.

"Why is she so unhappy?" Toothless asked, also looking at Serenity.

"She wants to travel again," Tenor said. "She also doesn't want to be useless."

"Maybe you can take her out and find a new dragon species," Toothless suggested. "I mean no one's keeping you trapped here. I'm sure there's lots of new dragon species out there that these riders haven't found yet. I get a feeling in my gut Viggo isn't going to last much longer."

"Especially with Re planning to bring in the Mountainback dragons," Tenor said. "No one can take them down."

"Who are they?" Toothless asked. "That name sounds familiar."

"They're a team of five dragons," Tenor said. "They're stronger than Thor, and their scales are harder than diamond. They only have one female and the rest are male. They live in high mountains and can go a whole year without food."

"Oh, I've heard of them," Toothless said. "They're Lord Draco's hunting pack. They're immune to everything, and are loyal to Draco and any of his soldiers. I remember the Red Death tried to hire them to take me out since I was trying to sabotage her nest. But they refused because they never kill a fellow dragon, and I was apparently being protected by Draco himself." Tenor looked confused.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't know," Toothless said. "I guess he knew I'd make friends with Hiccup and create an alliance with humans, and take out the Red Death." Tenor yawned and stretched his wings.

"Well, we have a long storm to sit through," he said.

"You should tell Astrid about that dragon, Tamarin," Toothless said.

"Good idea," Tenor said. "Should be inspiring." He laid his head on the beam and fell asleep. Toothless went back to watching the two humans.

The next morning, the storm had lifted for the moment. Tenor told Astrid about Tamarin, while everyone surveyed the damage. None of the dragons had returned.

"So this Tamarin has never seen anything in her life?" asked Astrid. "What must that be like?"

"She has never complained about it," Tenor said. "She has plenty of other ways to see things."

"So she doesn't know what you look like?" Astrid asked. Tenor could guess where this was going.

"She was nice to me," Tenor said. "Though her brother, Jambu, thinks his sister's disability is normal compared to me. Tamarin doesn't want a mate, she's perfectly happy on her farm with her brother."

"Does she fly?" Astrid asked.

"Only with in Draconia," Tenor said. "She hasn't concurred the world yet."

"How does she find her way home?" Astrid asked.

"She follows her own sent," Tenor said. "Like how one would follow their own footprints."

"How does she see without her eyes?" asked Astrid.

"She uses her other senses," Tenor explained. "She listens, smells, and feels. Similar to how Toothless and I see in the dark." At that moment Hiccup and the other riders returned.

"How are you doing Astrid?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm fine, but we can't be worrying about me," Astrid said. "Our dragons are still out there, alone and scared."

"You're right," Hiccup said. "We should all split up and look for them." The other riders left the clubhouse. Serenity went to Skywalker and prepared for any injuries. Hiccup looked at Astrid again.

"I'll look for Stormfly, you better wait here until you get your sight back," he said. Astrid scowled.

"No, I'm coming with you," Astrid said.

"I'm not going to let you go out there in your condition," Hiccup said. "And that's my final word, I'm putting my foot down." He folded his arms in a similar fashion he'd seen Stoic do. But Astrid got on Toothless's saddle anyway. Hiccup sighed in defeat.

"Tenor will you come with us?" he asked.

"Sure," Tenor said eagerly. Hiccup mounted Toothless in front of Astrid and the two nightly dragons took off.

They flew low over the trees, looking for Stormfly. Hiccup let Tenor be in front, so it was just him and Astrid, Toothless stayed focused on flying.

"Remind me to never put my foot again bud," Hiccup whispered to Toothless, who was only half listening.

"I can hear you Hiccup," Astrid said. "But I agree." Suddenly Toothless swerved to avoid a really tall tree, and Astrid nearly flew off the back of the saddle. Hiccup quickly grabbed her and pulled her back onto the saddle.

"You need to hold on tighter," Hiccup said. Astrid wrapped her arms around him. Hiccup couldn't explain why, but he suddenly felt an attraction towards Astrid that felt stronger than usual. He wished he had some to ask about this stuff, but Stoic was on Berk and Re was looking for trapped dragons to rescue with Aurora.

The two dragons landed in the next clearing to try looking for Stormfly on foot. Astrid called for her dragon as they wandered through the woods. Soon they reached another clearing at the base of a tall cliff. Astrid called for Stormfly, and listened for any sign of her.

"As jittery as the dragons were I'm thinking they wanted to get as far away from the storm as possible," Hiccup said. "We should check the beach, down stream." He pointed to the stream that lined the trees.

"No, I know my dragon," Astrid insisted. "She's more worried about me than she is about herself. Which means she'll be trying to find her way back towards the Edge, upstream." She ran towards the stream, which she could hear very clearly, when her foot caught on a rock and she tripped.

"Astrid!" Hiccup exclaimed. He ran to catch her but ended up on top of her. Astrid's blank eyes darted back and forth. They stayed like that in for a moment of awkward silence.

"So, you okay?" Hiccup asked, nervously. Astrid couldn't see Hiccup on top of her of course, but all her other senses told her that that's were he was.

"I'm fine," She said, just as nervously. "We should get going." Hiccup got to his feet and helped Astrid up. Just then there came a loud screech, and they all tensed up. But then Astrid recognized that particular screech and went closer to it.

"What are you doing?" asked Hiccup.

"It's okay, it's Stormfly," said Astrid. And sure enough the Nadder appeared on a ledge a moment later. Stormfly flew down and ran to her rider. Astrid hugged her beak.

"There's my girl," she said happily. But then Stormfly raised her head in alert, and growled. Astrid then heard a loud click.

"Hiccup above you!" Astrid said. Hiccup looked up to see the Triple Stryke roaring down at them. Sleuther pounced but was blocked by Tenor, who tackled him. He wrestled the bigger dragon to the ground. He didn't bite with his teeth, just his hard gums and strong jaws. Sleuther tried stabbing Tenor, but his barbs merely bounced off his armor. While the were wrestling Hiccup turned to Astrid.

"Astrid there's a rock formation ten paces to your left," he said. "Hide behind it and you'll be safe."

"Hide?" said Astrid annoyed. "I'm not going to hide." She called for Stormfly. Hiccup jumped onto Toothless and helped Tenor keep the Stryke at bay. Astrid felt around for Stormfly. But Stormfly stayed out of her reach. She picked Astrid up and carefully tossed her behind the rock Hiccup had pointed to. Suddenly Sleuther managed to get Tenor off him and charged the Nadder. Stormfly fought back, but Sleuther smacked his heavy tail in her face, stunning her. Then he turned to Astrid. Hiccup flew Toothless over to them, picked Astrid up and put her behind a different rock as Tenor tackled the Stryke again.

"Not fair Hiccup, so not fair," Astrid protested.

"We'll discuss this later," Hiccup said. Sleuther threw Tenor off him again and rammed Hiccup and Toothless out of the air. They hit the ground but were unharmed. Tenor jumped on the Stryke again, clamping his gums around the bigger dragon's neck.

"You need me Hiccup," Astrid demanded. "Admit it, you need me. Stormfly!" She felt around for her dragon, but felt nothing. "Stormfly?"

"It's okay, she's with me," Hiccup said. "We need her help and I can't fight this thing if all I'm doing is worrying about you."

"Fine," Astrid said grumpily, "I'll hide. Just what an experienced dragon rider should be doing in a time of crisis." She sat behind the rock, sulking. Hiccup turned his attention to the Stryke who was snapping is claws at Tenor, but Tenor was proving to be too quick. The nightly dragon rammed into the Stryke, knocking him off his feet. Tenor then lifted off the ground.

"Tenor, will you cover Astrid?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh come on," Tenor complained though clenched, back teeth. But he landed on the rock Astrid was hiding behind, still facing the Triple Stryke. He, Hiccup, Toothless, and Stormfly all fired at the wild dragon, aiming at the ground beneath his feet so he didn't get hurt. Eventually Sleuther got too overwhelmed and ran off.

Hiccup landed Toothless, dismounted and went over to Astrid. She wasn't happy at all.

"I think we scared it off for the moment," Hiccup said. "We should mount up and get back to the Edge." Astrid said nothing as she went over to were she could hear Toothless breathing heavily from the adrenaline. She put her hand on the saddle as if she was going to mount him.

"Um Astrid that's Toothless, don't you want to ride Stormfly?" asked Hiccup.

"I think she's made it pretty clear she doesn't want me riding her," Astrid said, her spirit draining. Stormfly looked a bit hurt by this.

"Astrid she was protecting you, she didn't want you in that fight," Hiccup said. "It's pretty cool actually."

"I'm having a hard time finding anything cool about any of this," Astrid said walking away. Hiccup followed her and gently grabbed her arm.

"I can only imagine what this must be like for you," he said softly. "You're, Astrid, you're strong invincible."

"Not anymore," Astrid said, turning to face him. "What if this is it for me. What if the rest of my life is like this?" She remembered what Tenor had said about the dragon Tamarin, but that dragon had a lot more experience. Hiccup gripped her arms firmly, and looked her in the eye.

"Then we'll deal with it," he said. "Just because you can't see doesn't mean you're helpless."

"But that's how I feel," Astrid said sadly.

"Astrid, you and I have been though everything together, you don't think we can handle this?" Hiccup said. "Astrid you have me, you always will. No matter what happens, there will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. Whatever that means, whatever you want it to mean I'm with you." A small silence followed. Somehow Astrid could feel Hiccup leaning towards her.

Tenor leaped off the rock and stood next to Toothless.

"They're so perfect together," Toothless said.

"I remember hearing something similar coming out of Re's mouth to Aurora," Tenor said. "When we were still dragonets, just a year shy of being full grown. Aurora was nervous about being queen, about letting her father down. Re told her that she wasn't in this alone, that they would have each other every step of the way and no matter what he would always come back to her. He probably said more, but I left."

"You mean you were just standing there eavesdropping?" asked Stormfly.

"Yeah, kind of like I am now," Tenor said. Stormfly changed the subject.

"Why would Astrid think I didn't want her riding me?" she asked. "Did she really think I was rejecting her instead of protecting her?"

"I'm sure she didn't really think that," Toothless said. "I'm sure she's grateful to you. She's probably just upset and stressed about her situation."

"Do you think I was too harsh?" asked Stormfly.

"You were fine Stormfly," Tenor reassured her. "You did what you felt was right. Any of us would done the same. That's what being a friend is all about, keeping them out of harm's way weather they like it or not." He chuckled softly.

"Thanks guys," Stormfly said. "You sure you two aren't brothers?" Tenor and Toothless exchanged a glance.

"Maybe," Tenor said. Just then he heard a faint click. He sighed. "Looks like our friend is back." He rolled his shoulders and took a fighting stance. Astrid had heard the click too.

"Did you hear that?" she said, alerted.

"I didn't hear anything," Hiccup said. The click came again.

"Behind you," Astrid said. Hiccup turned around in time to see the Triple Stryke hurling towards them. He blasted fire at them. Hiccup shoved Astrid out of the way.

"Okay, this guy's got to go," he said. Tenor, Toothless, and Stormfly faced off against the wild dragon as Hiccup put Astrid back behind the rock. She didn't protest this time and sat quietly. Hiccup then joined the three dragons pulling out Inferno. Sleuther fried at them, making them scatter. He then tried stabbing them with his three tails, but they dodged them. While they fought Hiccup turned to Toothless.

"Stress call bud," he said. Toothless shot a small blast into the sky, which could be seen from all over the island.

While they waited for the other riders they kept fighting the Stryke, keeping him off Astrid. They surrounded him. Rain fell again, putting out the fire on Inferno. Astrid meanwhile was pondering what Tenor had said about Tamarin, and about how he and Toothless could navigate the dark without seeing. They used other senses; hearing, smell, touch. She strained her ears as she listened to the fight. She could pick out the Triple Stryke by that loud clicking sound, that must be coming from his tail. She listened harder. She hardly noticed the sounds of the other riders arriving finally. She could only hear Snotlout and the Twins however, and no Fishlegs. She focused more on the Triple Stryke. She soon picked out a pattern with the dragon's attacks. Before each strike his tail would make the same clicking sound, and then she heard her friends running all over. It sounded like Tenor was able to stand his ground, but even he couldn't defeat the Stryke. Suddenly Astrid knew what to do.

"Stormfly come," she ordered. Stormfly heard this, and ran over obediently. Astrid felt her way onto the saddle and they took off. They spun around and went into an attack dive. Astrid heard the click and reacted immediately.

"Spine shot," she ordered. Stormfly shot her spins at the Stryke's feet. She heard his startled yelp.

"Astrid what are you doing?" asked Hiccup.

"I'm fine Hiccup," Astrid insisted. "I've been listening to you guys get your butts kicked and I'm sick of it, besides I have this dragon figured out." She listened to the Stryke again, and heard another click. "Again spine shot." Stormfly shot more spines, and the Stryke jumped backward. They kept this up until the Stryke was starting to sound frustrated, indicating that he was cornered. Astrid landed Stormfly and dismounted. She walked towards the Stryke.

"Astrid," Hiccup warned.

"Quiet Hiccup, I'm dealing with it," Astrid snapped at him. She heard Tenor snicker at that. She picked up two of Stormfly's spins and got closer to the wild dragon. She heard him click his pincers. Astrid clicked the spines together, making the same sound the Stryke kept making. Sleuther yelped in a confused way. Astrid clicked the spins again, and the Stryke gave a curious croon.

"She's using the clicks to distract it," Hiccup said, happily. Astrid stayed focused. She got closer to the Stryke, still clicking the spins. Soon she could hear him right in front of her. She slow reached her hand out to him. A moment later she felt the dragon's warm scales and his smooth nose horn. She smiled, satisfied.

Hiccup beamed. The others settled down as the Triple Stryke settled down.

"And that's how we get close enough to train it," Hiccup said.

"That was awesome," Tenor said.

"How did she do that?" asked Ruffnut, amazed. "She can't see a thing."

"She used her other senses," Hiccup said. "Hearing, smell, touch, her gut."

"Speaking of which, I'm sensing something big and out of control coming this way," said Astrid. And sure enough Hookfang came flying towards them with Fishlegs on his back. They crash landed in front of the others. Hiccup then turned to Tenor.

"Say do you think Serenity would have a cure for Astrid?" he asked.

"Why don't we go ask her," Tenor said. So the riders mounted their respective dragons and headed back to the Edge. Sleuther followed at a distance.

When they got there the clouds disbursed and the sun came out at last. Hiccup, Astrid, and Tenor landed on Skywalker's deck where Serenity was waiting.

"Hello," she said cheerfully.

"Serenity do you have something for Astrid's eyes?" Hiccup asked. Serenity stroked Tenor's neck.

"That depends on what she was blinded by," she said.

"It was the flash of lightening," Astrid said. "I guess I was too close to it." Serenity smiled.

"I'll get my bag," she said. "I believe I've got something." She got up from her chair and went over to her bag. Hiccup sat Astrid down in the empty chair. Serenity rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small vile of a clear liquid, and some bandages.

"What's that?" Hiccup asked.

"Skrill tears," said Serenity. "I remember Flash said they can fix an eye that's been overexposed to light, he's seen work before. Since there was no direct damage to the eyes this will help them heal faster." She opened the vile and pulled out the small metal rod. "This'll sting but you must not rub your eyes, that'll make the medicine leave your eyes and it won't work." Astrid nodded. Serenity gently tilted her head back so she was looking straight up. Serenity then gently dropped a few droplets into each of Astrid's eyes. It did sting, she gripped the chair so she wouldn't rub her eyes. Serenity then wrapped the bandage around her head, covering her yes.

"Skrill tears?" Astrid said.

"Yeah," Serenity said. "Skrills are around lightening all the time. Their eyes have evolved to be able to resist the overexposure lightening causes."

"That explains it," Astrid said. Serenity secured the bandage.

"There," she said. "You'll get your sight back in no time. Come back tomorrow and I'll take the bandage off."

"Thanks Serenity," Astrid said. Serenity closed the vile and put it away. Hiccup and Astrid mounted their dragons and took off. Tenor stayed where he was.

"Did you find all the dragons?" Serenity asked him.

"Yup," Tenor said. "Astrid trained the Triple Stryke, it was awesome. She had to use her other senses."

"Like Tamarin," Serenity said.

"Yup," Tenor said. He nuzzled her shoulder and she hugged him. "Are you okay?" Serenity sighed.

"I'll be all right," she said. "I have plenty of dragons to be friends with and I'll find a lot more. I am happy that I got to be useful in the end." She looked up at the vacant helm. "Do you think this ship will be used again?"

"Oh yeah," Tenor said. "Once Hiccup and Re figure out what they're going to do about Viggo."

"I hope this is all drawing to a close," Serenity said. "Then I'll be free."

"Aurora thinks so," Tenor said. "It won't last forever. Viggo will be defeated soon." He laid down beside the furnace and held open his wing. "Come here." Serenity curled up beside him and he put his wing around her. "You did good today. Even though it wasn't much." Serenity stroked his snout.

"Did you have fun out there?" she asked.

"I did," Tenor said. "No one was hurt." Serenity buried her face in his neck.

"When will Re and Aurora be back?" she asked.

"As soon as they can," Tenor said. "Don't worry about them. You should sleep now. We might be setting out to face Viggo again soon." Serenity closed her eyes obediently. They both fell asleep minuets later.

The next day the storms were miles away. The sun shone down on the outpost. Serenity and Tenor stayed together for the day. Near the afternoon Hiccup and Astrid came back onto the ship with their dragons. Serenity sat Astrid down in a chair and pulled out her bag.

"You feeling better?" Serenity asked as she untied the bandage.

"Almost normal," Astrid said. The bandage came away. Astrid's vision was blurry at first, but it soon cleared and she saw Hiccup looking at her with a nervous expression.

"Astrid?" he said. "Are you...?"

"Looking at you?" Astrid finished. "Yes I am." She smiled. Hiccup relaxed and smiled back. Serenity stepped back and stood beside Stormfly. The Nadder squawked happily.

"Thanks Serenity," Hiccup said. Serenity just smiled. She packed up her stuff and put her bag away.

"The others are working with the Triple Stryke," Astrid said. "You can go help if you want to."

"It's okay," Serenity said. "They're'll be more dragons for me to be friends with. I'll let this one go. Besides the skies are calling." She mounted Tenor and they took off.

Hiccup and Astrid flew up to the top of the airship's big, red balloon. They got off their dragons and sat on the balloon. The two dragons went back down to the deck. The sun was sinking towards the ocean. Serenity and Tenor were flying erratically over the bay and cliffs. Hiccup felt his attraction towards Astrid grow stronger.

"You feeling okay now?" He asked her.

"I'm fine Hiccup," Astrid assured him. "You can stop worrying about me."

"I always worry about you, that just the way it is," Hiccup said, relaxing. Astrid smiled in flattered way.

"I guess it's that way for me too," she said. They turned back to watching the sun and the black silhouette zipping back and forth over the water. Once they flew under the balloon, staying well clear of the fire in the furnace. They soared back out and headed for the tall mountain. Astrid turned to Hiccup.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked. "Back in the forest, when we were, you know."

"Yeah," Hiccup said. He had a pretty good idea of where this was going.

"Were you about to...?" Astrid didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't need to.

"Oh! You felt that huh?" Hiccup said.

"Well, why didn't you?" Astrid asked. Hiccup took a deep breath as he thought about his answer.

"It wasn't perfect," he said. "And I though if it ever happened, I wanted it to be perfect." Astrid looked out at the sunset again. The bright, yellow sphere was just touching the horizon, as though the horizon was supporting it. Astrid was so grateful to Serenity for curing her blindness so she could see the sun again. She smiled warmly, making a metal note to herself to repay the Dragon Healer for her kindness and skill. Astrid looked back at Hiccup.

"This seems pretty perfect," she said. Hiccup looked at the sunset as well. The temperature was dropping with the sun. But the balloon was kept warm and full by the fire in the furnace.

"Yeah," he said. He took another deep breath. The two of them smiled silently at each other. Hiccup gently pressed his lips to hers. Though the two had kissed before, this felt completely different. After only a few minuets they separated, their harts full of love. They wrapped their arms around each other, Astrid laid her head on Hiccup's shoulder, and they watched the sun set together.


	12. Shellshocked pt 1

Shellshocked Pt 1

The black sea dragon Shark swam through the deep ocean. She was so deep that no light shone down on her. She was accompanied by her usual escort of Sea Shockers and Scauldrons. For the moment things were peaceful. But Shark was worried, one of her cohorts had gone missing. She had not seen him, nor had her Subbmaripper. Her ocean had given her a vision that everything would be all right in the end, but she had no idea what happen between now and then. Just then Ripper pulled up alongside her.

"My queen, I have not seen any sign of ShellShock," he said. Shark sighed.

"We may have to combine forces with those humans," she said. "I'm not happy about it, but it'll get my Shellfire back and defeat these hunters."

"I will do whatever you want me to your majesty," Ripper promised. Shark smiled at him. They swam deeper into the sea.

On the Isle of Berk, Hiccup had gathered all his riders, the A riders, Stoic, Gobber, Dagur, Heather, and all the Draconians in the great hall. He was telling them his plan to take out Viggo and get the Dragon Eye back. He'd been going over this plan for months. The more he thought it over, the more confident he was that it would work. His audience listened with excitement. Re stood beside his comrades. They had called all twenty Draconian volunteers to the meeting. Many of them were scattered around the room or perched on beams across the ceiling. They were as excited as everyone else for this fight to end. The only one not present was Serenity. She was currently sitting on Skywalker's deck, waiting for the meeting to be over.

Hiccup explained his plan to the group. He wanted the A team and the airship to take out the hunting ships, The Berserkers and the Draconians to take out all the sentries, Stoic and Gobber would corner Ryker with Re and Astrid. Hiccup then turned to Tenor.

"Tenor I know you're only half Night Fury, but you think you can help Toothless and me get the Dragon Eye?" Hiccup asked. "Stay in the shadows and make sure he doesn't get away." Tenor beamed.

"Gladly," he said, gnashing his black teeth.

"But you're not allowed to bite him," Hiccup said sternly.

"Accidents happen," Tenor said. "But I'll keep my teeth under control." He looked a touch disappointed, but excitement outweighed it. Hiccup wrapped up his battle plan. Everyone exchanged a glance.

"I like this kid," said a crimson red Draconian Blackfang. "He's got a good head on his shoulders."

"We'll head out when it gets dark," Hiccup said. "Dismissed." Many of the Draconians left the great hall. Astrid saw Aurora step closer to Re and nuzzled his neck. Astrid remembered that the two of them had been together since they were eggs. Their bond was very strong. Astrid hoped her relationship with Hiccup would be as strong as theirs. Re draped a wing around his soulmate and they left the great hall with their tails entwined.

Tenor pranced out of the great hall, excitement running through his veins. He could hardly wait to take out Viggo had end his poor rider's nightmares. He came to a stop at the foot of the stairs. Toothless came up beside him.

"You ready for this cousin?" he asked.

"Oh yes," Tenor said. "If all goes well, Serenity and I could be heading out of here by this time tomorrow and traveling the world again."

"I don't want you guys to leave," Toothless said. "You're the only family I have, and Serenity's the only dragon healer in the whole world." Tenor smiled.

"Serenity's been stuck here for way too long," he said. "And you do still have that little witch, Gothi."

"Gothi's good at healing, and she is very nice," Toothless agreed. "But she just isn't as sweet or soft as Serenity. She can actually speak to us too. You don't find a girl like her anywhere."

"She is very special," Tenor agreed. "And I think she's earned a reward for all she's done."

"I suppose," Toothless said. "And it would be nice to see her happy again."

"Yes," Tenor said. He pranced on the spot. Toothless spotted Hiccup and Astrid talking quietly in the shadow of the staircase.

"Those two are so wonderful together," he said. Tenor followed his gaze.

"Yeah, they're exactly how Re and Aurora have always been," he said. "They've always been closer than a two-headed Zippleback." He looked back down at Hiccup and Astrid. They were holding hands and smiling at each other. "You think Astrid's good enough for him?"

"Astrid? Of course she is," Toothless said. "And I don't know if I've noticed this before, but Astrid's getting to be just as pretty as Serenity is."

"They're growing up," Tenor said. "Hiccup will be chief one day."

"Yeah," Toothless said. "You think he'll be as good a leader as Re is?"

"Probably," Tenor said. "But it took Re several years to get as good as he is now." At that moment Stormfly landed beside them.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked. The two nightly dragons exchanged a glance.

"We're discussing weather or not Hiccup's going to be as good a leader as Re is," Toothless said.

"I think he will," Stormfly said. "I mean look at that battle plan he came up with. The only difference is Re probably would have come up with that a long time ago."

"Re's had more experience," Tenor said. "But his battle planning is a little rusty nowadays. That's why he has Aurora and myself. Now if you'll excuse me there's a long night ahead of me, I'm going to take a short nap." He spread his wings and flew onto the airship's deck.

At sunset everyone gathered in the plaza. Skywalker had been stocked up with ammo and had been reinforced with more Gronckle Iron. The dragons were all armored and ready. Hiccup mounted Toothless and took the lead. They took off and headed for Viggo's island. The airship was in the middle of the formation. The Draconians on the ship passed the time by playing Maces and Talons. They saved their energy for the fight ahead.

Soon the island came into sight and everyone readied themselves.

"Okay riders, just like we practiced," Hiccup said. "Tenor, you're with me." Tenor's eyes were wild with excitement. The riders and airship split up. Tenor followed Toothless towards Viggo's tent. However, they found the whole camp deserted and nearly everything was broken. Hiccup, Stoic, Gobber, Re, and Tenor landed outside Viggo's tent, while Aurora circled overhead. Hiccup approached the tent flap, Tenor and Toothless following him. No sounds came from the tent. Tenor scurried over to the side of the tent, and went into a crouch. Hiccup and Toothless entered the tent, only to find it as deserted and broken as the rest of the camp.

"I'll help the others search the island," Stoic said as he took off. Tenor came out of hiding and followed Hiccup inside. They looked around the mess. Hiccup looked on the desk only to find a Maces and Talons board, and no Dragon Eye. Hiccup roared in outrage and kicked the table over.

"Ahhh, what is it going to take to defeat this guy!" he roared. Toothless and Tenor exchanged a glance. But then Tenor's sensitive ears heard a game piece roll across the floor and onto something made of wood. He went over to investigate. He found a piece of leather covering a corner of the tent. He knocked on the piece of leather, and hit what sounded like a wooden door. This attracted the attention of Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup pulled the leather off a trap door, both dragons growled as Hiccup opened the door. They looked into it, both dragons readied a plasma blast. They found Viggo in there, looking badly scuffed up and a bit traumatized. He seemed relieved to see the door open.

"Hiccup," he said, tiredly. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm overjoyed to see you?" Hiccup exchanged a shocked glance with the two dragons.

"That was easier than I thought," Tenor said.

"Tenor, I'm going to find the others," Hiccup said. "Will you stay here and watch him?"

"Sure, I'd be glad to," Tenor said, flexing his claws. Hiccup mounted Toothless.

"Don't let him out of your sight," Hiccup said. As a response, Tenor kicked the trap door shut and sat on top of it. Hiccup and Toothless left the tent. Tenor waited, drumming his talons on the door. He heard Viggo moving around in the hole.

He waited only a few minuets, and soon the others returned. Tenor got off the door and Hiccup opened it. Re reached down with his rail, grabbed Viggo, and dragged him out. Viggo got up and sat on a stool. All the dragons kept hissing and flexing their talons. Aurora spotted the golden Dragon Eye lens on Viggo's belt. When no one was looking, she clicked her talons and the lens vanished, reappearing in Aurora's armor. Then she rejoined her comrades.

"Viggo, what happened?" asked Hiccup.

"Ryker's lost all sense of reason," Viggo said. "He's on his own and has persuaded the softheaded minds of the dragon hunters. He's turned them against their leader. His plan is to wipe you and all of your allies."

"How is that any different than any other enemy we've encountered?" asked Hiccup.

"And defeated!" Fishlegs added. Dagur caught Tenor giving him an amused sideways glance.

"The difference, is Project Shelfire," Viggo went on.

"What is Project Shelfire?" asked Hiccup. "We know it's some kind of weapon. Is it a boat? Is it a dragon?"

"In due time I will diverge all," Viggo said. "Project Shelfire, the location of the Dragon Eye, but only if you help me defeat my brother and send me on my way." The dragons hissed again. Snotlout coughed.

"I'm sorry I had something stuck in my LYING THROAT!" he bellowed.

"Snotlout's right," agreed Fishlegs. "We can't trust Viggo as far as we can throw him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Viper. But Viggo spoke again.

"Indeed, trusting me would be a bit stretched," he said. "But as a show of good faith, I will tell you where and when Ryker will strike. Give you time to save some of your allies. He'll strike the Defenders of the Wing, then the Outcast, Berserkers, and finally Berk itself. In no particular order." The riders and dragons exchanged a glance. Leaving Tenor to watch him again, they slipped outside.

"There's no way we're trusting anything this guys says," said Astrid.

"But we can't just ignore it," Hiccup argued. "There are too many lives at stake."

"Agreed," said Stoic. "Gobber and I will take the A team and prepare Berk, just to be safe." Hiccup nodded.

"Heather, you and Dagur head to Berserker Island, with the Draconians," he said. "Make sure it's ready." Both Heather and Dagur nodded. "And the rest of us will check on the Defender of the Wing. Tenor will you come with us?"

"Sure," said Tenor from inside.

"What about Viggo?" asked Astrid.

"I guess he's coming with us," said Hiccup. "Tenor will have to carry him." He went back into the tent.

The riders mounted up and headed off. Serenity steered the airship after the Berserkers. Tenor snatched Viggo up in his talons and followed Hiccup. They headed for Mala's village. The sun came up as they headed over the ocean. Viggo kept quiet the whole way, aware of all the suspicious glares he was getting. Tenor was tempted to just drop him into the ocean, but resisted.

"What exactly are we going to do with this loser now that we've got him?" Hookfang asked. "Throw him into a crevasse and leave him there?"

"Maybe we can make a chew toy out of him," said Stormfly.

"I think we'll just clap him in chains and beat him with sticks," Tenor said. "He'd make a great practice dummy."

Just then they arrived and landed at Mala's village. Tenor swooped down threw Viggo into the dirt, then landed on top of him. Throck ran over and bound Viggo in chains while Hiccup explained to Mala what was going on. Throck and Tenor dragged Viggo towards the cage in the ground. Throck opened the trap door. Tenor gave Viggo a good, hard thwack with his tail, making Viggo fall into the hole and Throck closed the door.

"Hiccup, I assume you have a perfectly valid reason for bringing this man into our home," said Mala unhappily.

"I don't trust him either," Hiccup said. "But if what he says is true, your lives could be in danger."

"There is something I am more concerned with keeping safe then ourselves," Mala said. She lead the way over to a deep pool of lava where the Eruptadon was lounging, with its newly hatched dragonet. Fishlegs was beside himself with excitement as he watched the dragonet playing in the shallow lava.

"It hatched," Fishlegs shrieked.

"A few weeks passed," Mala said. "It is crucial that we protect this young Eruptadon. He is still venerable to all attacks." Suddenly several large, blue white fire ball hit the side of the volcano and exploded. It knocked everyone off their feet. More rained down, reeking havoc.

"Fishlegs, get the baby to safety," Hiccup ordered. "Mala, you and Throck guard Viggo. The rest of us will fly into this attack and find the source." He jumped onto Toothless. Fishlegs grabbed the young Eruptadon, mounted Meatlug. The adult gurgled in confusion.

"We'll treat him as if he were one of our own," Fishlegs promised her.

"You'll get her back in once piece, Draco's honor," said Meatlug. Lavette nodded and Meatlug flew off.

Hiccup and the rest of the riders flew out to meat the hunters, dodging the white fire balls. Tenor joined them, looking so thrilled. Astrid watched a fire ball pass within inches of Toothless's wing.

"Hiccup, that was way too close," Astrid said. "Maybe you should go back and keep an eye on Viggo." Hiccup looked at her, a bit surprised.

"Astrid we talked about this," he said, sternly. "It's business as usual. We have to stay focused no matter what." He didn't like the curious looks the other riders were giving them. They closed in on the hunters ships. There were only two of them, firing arrows. The dragons fought back, setting the ships on fire. Hiccup and Astrid spotted where the white fire balls were coming from. Whatever it was, it was hiding behind a large sea stack. They both flew around the sea stack. But just as the finished circling the stack, the attack stopped and there was nothing to be found. Confused, they all headed back to the village.

When they got back, they discovered that Viggo had escaped. Hiccup was outraged.

"How'd he get away?" he asked.

"The attack allowed him to break out," Throck said, he sounded ashamed. "I'm sorry, I have failed you."

"I can't believe I fell for it. What was I thinking!?" Hiccup cried. "Well we can't worry about Viggo right now. We have to get back to the Edge. We don't know where the next attack will happen." He looked over at Mala and Throck. "You're welcome to come with us."

"No, we must defend our home," Mala said. "But I do have on request. I fear the baby Eruptadon will not be safe here. I wonder if you would take it back with you and keep her safe." She looked over at Fishlegs who was watching Meatlug feed the young Eruptadon.

"Don't worry Mala, we were made for this," Fishlegs said. "We'll keep this little guy safe, at all cost." Mala smiled. The riders mounted their dragons and took off, taking the dagonet with them.

They headed back towards Dragon's Edge. Fishlegs carried the Eruptadon the whole way, since she was too young to fly. Astrid flew between Hiccup and Tenor.

When they got back to the Edge, Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons went up to Hiccup's hut and looked over Hiccup's map. The dragons waited outside. Hiccup looked down at the map, Astrid looking over his shoulder.

"We've been thinking like Viggo, now we need to start thinking like Ryker," Hiccup said.

"Good luck with that," said Astrid. She thought for a few minuets. "And about what happened back there..."

"I know," Hiccup said. "Me too. Won't happen again. But we have to put aside our personal feelings and focus on taking down the dragon hunters."

"Yes, you're right," Astrid said, smiling.

"It's nice to know you care though," Hiccup added, softly. Astrid smiled wider, and looked him in the eye.

Outside Tenor landed on the deck beside Toothless and Stormfly.

"Have they come up with anything yet?" Tenor asked.

"No," said Toothless. "I think they're having a romantic moment." Tenor said nothing and laid down on the deck.

"Are you not happy for them?" asked Stormfly.

"Absolutely," Tenor said. "They deserve the best. However, it's hard to watch sometimes."

"I hear you cousin," Toothless said. "I haven't found a mate either. I'm just as lonely as you are." Tenor smiled at him.

"I wonder how Serenity's doing," he said.

"I'm sure she's fine," said Stormfly. "Re and Aurora will take care of her." Tenor laid his head down and dozed off.

A few minuets later Hiccup called everyone up to the clubhouse. He said Ryker would most likely attack Outcast Island next and planed to head him off. He pointed on his map where they were going. The riders mounted their dragons and took off. Hiccup allowed Tenor to be in front so he could navigate them. It took the rest of the day to reach the spot. When they got there, they hovered over the ocean and waited. The stars came out and the two black dragons were almost invisible. Hiccup scanned the horizon with his spy glass. So far no one was seen.

"So Astrid, I noticed you're starting to worry about Hiccup as much as Serenity worries about me," Tenor said.

"You noticed that huh?" Astrid said. "I guess I now understand why she worries she much. I know Hiccup's perfectly capable of making it out of this fine, but I still worry that something bad will happen to him."

"Do you plan to make things official?" Tenor asked.

"Yeah," said Astrid. "But not yet." Tenor nodded. Then he spotted something sailing towards them.

"Is that a white flag?" asked Tuffnut. Hiccup looked though his spyglass.

"Yes, but that's not even the weirdest part," he said. The riders flew down to the ship where Ryker was standing on the deck waving the white flag. When the riders landed Ryker explained that Viggo had turned on him and stole the Shelfire.

"Funny that's the exact same story Viggo told us," said Hiccup. "He said you were the one who flipped."

"Is that so?" said Ryker. "In that case where is he?" Hiccup said nothing. "Think about Hiccup, between my brother and I who has more interest in you?" Hiccup softened his glare. "Exactly, it's Viggo who built the Shelfire, it's Viggo who want's a war. But it's Ryker who has the Dragon Eye."

"Ok, then where is it?" asked Hiccup.

"Oh, don't worry it's safely hidden," said Ryker. "Think about it; if Viggo had the Shelfire and the Dragon Eye what would he do? Set you up."

"Or you could both be in on this," Tenor said. Suddenly there came explosions in the distance. Everyone looked to see the white fire balls showering on a distant island.

"Which island is that?" asked Astrid. Hiccup pulled out his map and they looked at it. Hiccup pointed at the island that was the closest to them, Berserker Island.

"See, this confirms what I've been saying," said Ryker as the riders mounted up. "Bring my brother to me, and I'll give you the Dragon Eye. If not I'll disappear, for good and you'll never see it again." Hiccup just glared and took off.

They flew to Berserker Island where Heather, Dagur, and the Draconians were trying to block the attack. Skywalker stayed well out of the way. The Berkian riders joined them. Heather and Dagur flew up to them.

"It came out of nowhere Hiccup," said Heather. They tried to block the fire balls, but had no luck.

"Hiccup staying together isn't working," said Astrid.

"You're right," Hiccup said. "You guys go with Heather and Dagur, save everyone you can."

"What about you two?" Snotlout asked suspiciously.

"We're going to find out what the Shelfire is, and try to stop it," Hiccup said. "Tenor, will you cover us?" Tenor nodded. They headed for the spot where the fire balls were coming from. Tenor flew slightly separate so Hiccup and Astrid could still be alone. They dodge the fire balls until the spotted what they were coming from. It was a huge metal ship, twice the size of the other hunting ships.

"There it is," said Hiccup. "Looks like a ship." But then a colossal dragon burst out of the water and spat more fire balls. The dragon looked like an orange and purple manta ray with two enormous wings. The ship was strapped to its back like a saddle. The dragon ducked back underneath.

"The Shelfire isn't a ship or a dragon," said Hiccup. "It's both. He's weaponized a dragon Astrid." The Shelfire turned around and dove back under the water. "I'm going after it." Hiccup steered Toothless into the water as well, and watched the Shelfire disappear into deeper water. He flew back out. He joined Astrid again. "Too fast and too deep."

"It can't stay underwater forever," said Astrid. "With that ship full of hunters on its back."

"But there's no way of knowing where or when," Hiccup growled. He looked at Tenor. "Tenor how much do you know about that dragon?"

"I know a few things that might help," Tenor said.

"Let's go back to the Edge," Hiccup said. "And you can tell us all you know, don't leave anything out." Tenor nodded. They found the other riders and dragons, and headed back to the Edge.

When they got back to the Edge and gathered in the clubhouse. Tenor folded his wings and cleared his throat. Everyone gave him their undivided attention.

"So, the Shelfire dragon," he said. "It's what you vikings call a Tidal Class dragon. The one I just saw, is a titan wing. They have long rang attacks and are one of the only dragons that can swim clear to the bottom of the ocean. It's the fourth largest dragon species in the world."

"But Tidal Class dragons don't attack humans," said Fishlegs. "They just don't. They're forcing it to do this."

"Is there anything else you know about it?" asked Snotlout to Tenor.

"I know it's another one of Shark's henchmen like the Subbmaripper," Tenor said. Then he sat on his haunches and clutched his head. "She would be able to tell you more. I swear to Draco that's all I know."

"Did you know Project Shelfire was a dragon?" asked Astrid.

"I knew it was named after a dragon," Tenor said. "But no." Hiccup looked over at Heather and Dagur who looked mournful.

"I'm sorry about Berserker Island," he said

"We managed to get everyone to safety," said Heather quietly. "But to rebuild..."

"Well that's what friends are for," Tenor said. Heather gave him a small smile.

"I'm trying to control my anger Hiccup," said Dagur. "But Viggo, he has to go."

"We should have killed him when we had the chance," Tenor said, gnashing his black teeth. Astrid turned to look at Hiccup.

"What's our next move?" she asked. Hiccup sighed.

"I don't know," he admitted. "All I know is that we have to find Viggo, or he and the Dragon Eye will be gone for good."

"Maybe Ryker will give us more time," said Astrid.

"Yeah good luck with that," said Snotlout. Both Tenor and Hookfang growled at him.

"I need to clear my head," Hiccup said. Astrid put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'll handle things here," she said. "Take all the time you need, don't worry about us." Hiccup smiled at her, then mounted Toothless and took off.

"I'll go rejoin my comrades while we're waiting," Tenor said. He spread his wings and took off.

He flew over the tall mountain where Re and Aurora had Serenity hide the airship, well out of range of the Shelfire. Tenor landed on the deck. Re, Aurora, and Serenity looked up when he landed.

"No sign of Viggo?" Re asked.

"Nope," Tenor said. "What do you plan to do when he turns up again?"

"Well, it seems Hiccup is unwilling to kill him," Re said. "We may have to take matters into our own talons. Too many dragons have died at his hand. If Hiccup won't kill him, the I will. I'm tired of waiting for him."

"Perhaps he thinks Viggo will become his ally like Alvin and Dagur did," Tenor said.

"It won't happen," Aurora said. "I can foresee that quite clearly."

"Does Hiccup have a plan to take out the hunters?" Re asked. "Any at all?"

"Nope, he's drawn a blank," Tenor said. "Again." Re heaved a sigh.

"Are you able to kill him when you get the chance?" Aurora asked.

"Yes," Re said. "I have killed humans before. Hiccup won't like it of course."

"Well, he's had plenty of chances," Aurora said. "Every time he fails, dragon lives are lost."

"Very well," Re said, sitting up. "Next time we fight Viggo and Ryker, we take them out, no more delays." Suddenly Aurora became alert, and growled.

"That time is near at hand," she said. "I can smell him."

Hiccup sat on a cliff with Toothless next to him. Hiccup was at a complete loss for what to do next. Toothless waited patiently.

"I usually have some gut feeling about these things," Hiccup said. Toothless nudged him, worried. Hiccup patted his muzzle. "Don't worry, we'll come up with something."

"Perhaps I can help," said a smooth voice behind them. Toothless growled and they both jumped to their feet. Viggo stepped out of the trees.

"Did you really think I'd just abandon you?" Viggo said. "I am a man of my word." Hiccup and Toothless glared at him. "Let me guess Ryker told you that I was the one who turned. I bet he offered you peace and the Dragon Eye. Neither of which he was willing or able to produce."

"He did," Hiccup confirmed. Viggo sneered.

"He'll be here, with the Shelfire," he said. "You help me stop him, and I'll give you what you desire."

"That's exactly what he said," said Hiccup. "Almost to the word."

"But he was not able to give it to you was he?" said Viggo.

"And you are?" said Hiccup. Viggo reached into his pocket and pulled out the Dragon Eye. He walked up to Hiccup and held it out. Hiccup went to take it, but Viggo pulled it back.

"What ever we're going to do Hiccup," he said. "We have to do it together." Hiccup took a deep breath, praying he wasn't making a big mistake, and nodded. Viggo smiled and laid the Dragon Eye into his hand.


	13. Shellshocked pt 2

Shellshocked pt. 2

Re and his comrades sat on the deck of the airship. They watched the sunrise together. Aurora could foresee that today would end one story, and begin another.

"So if you were to take out the Shellfire your way, how would you do it?" Tenor asked Re.

"Shark," Re said. "She has control of all the sea dragons, she would know how to stop it."

"We'll have to find her," Aurora said. "I can locate her with magic, and I can sense that she's in the area. Tenor, you'll have to stay behind and help the riders with the coming attack. You'll be in command of the airship." Tenor nodded.

"And when you see Viggo, take him out," Re ordered. "End the bloodshed."

"Yes sir," Tenor said.

"We'll be back as soon as we find Shark," Aurora said. "In a day I believe." The two of them spread their wings and took off. Tenor watched them go. He then looked up at where his rider was asleep on the deck. He decided to let her sleep, she would need her strength. He spread his wings and headed for the outpost.

He heard voices coming from the clubhouse and flew over to see what they were talking about. He instantly spotted Viggo pacing on the porch outside, Toothless watching him. Tenor snarled and sped right at Viggo, pinning him the porch. He growled so loud he didn't hear Hiccup's protest.

"You say one word Viggo, and I'll rip your throat out," Tenor snarled.

"Tenor stop," Toothless roared. "Don't kill him yet." Tenor looked up at him and Hiccup.

"We'll lock him up for now," Hiccup said. "Will you take him to the stables." Tenor growled but got off. He then spread his wings and took off, snatching Viggo in his talons. He flew down to the stables, Hiccup and Astrid followed on their dragons. He threw Viggo into an empty stall, and slammed the door.

"Please reconsider Hiccup," Viggo said. "Ryker will be here with the Shelfire, my Shelfire, he'll burn this whole place to the ground."

"Sorry Viggo, there's just too much bad blood for us to trust you," Hiccup said.

"And the Dragon Eye's return that did nothing to persuade you?" asked Viggo.

"Not enough," said Astrid. Tenor went over to sit beside his fellow dragons.

"Where's Re and Aurora?" asked Stormfly.

"They went to find Shark," Tenor said. "They've grown tired of Hiccup's plans taking forever and failing. They want to end the bloodshed of dragons."

"I can understand that," said Stormfly. "But I'm sure Hiccup will come up with something."

"Dragons are dying in the meantime," Tenor said. "Heck a Shelfire dragon is suffering because of him. Re's instructed me to kill him."

"Well, don't kill him yet," Toothless said. "Wait until he's no longer useful to us." Tenor considered.

"Very well," he said. Just then the Twins ran into the stables.

"They're here," said Tuffnut. "Or they will be here."

"Ruffnut, translation?" said Hiccup.

"Dragon hunters, a whole fleet of ships heading this way," said Ruffnut. Hiccup and Astrid ran to their dragons.

"You stand guard and watch Viggo," Hiccup said. "Tenor you go get the airship ready." Tenor nodded. He spread his wings and took off.

He back up to the airship and woke up the crew. They readied all the defenses and weapons. Tenor went up to Serenity who was just waking up. She smiled when she saw him.

"We must prepare the ship for battle," Tenor said. "The hunters are on their way, with the Shelfire." Serenity got to her feet.

"Where's Re and Aurora?" she asked.

"Bringing Shark," Tenor said. "They'll be here as soon as they can." Serenity sat in her chair.

It took the rest of the day for them to get the ship ready for battle. When everything was set up, the crew gathered around the helm. Tenor faced them.

"The king and queen are on their way with Shark," Tenor said. "We're going into battle with the riders until they get here. I plan to have this ship attack the hunters from behind. The Shelfire can only fire in a single direction, we put the ship where the Shelfire can't shoot."

"When do we strike?" asked Morpho.

"I'm about to go find out," Tenor said. "Wait here." He took off and headed back to the outpost.

He spotted the riders and dragons in the arena. He swooped down and landed beside them. Hiccup and Astrid soon joined them as well, having returned from their scouting mission.

"Okay gang," Hiccup said. "We have until dawn. Tenor is your airship ready?"

"Yes," Tenor said. "Re and Aurora are bringing us something that will help us defeat the Shelfire."

"Great," said Hiccup, then he turned to Dagur. "Dagur will you and Shattermaster cover the backend of the island. With all the sneaking around should give you plenty of advantages."

"Absolutely, and I take that as a compliment by the way," said Dagur. "The sneaking around."

"Of course you do," said Hiccup as Dagur flew away on Shattermaster. Hiccup then turned to the rest. "Snotlout, you and Hookfang get the Gronckle iron walls on the huts. Fishlegs, you and Meatlug get the Eruptadon hatchling to the center of the island and find a place to hide. Ruff, Tuff, and Heather you take out the first wave of ships." Everyone nodded and disbursed, leaving Hiccup and Astrid alone. Tenor took off, and heading back to the ship. Serenity was still sitting in her chair.

"Well, now we wait for them," Tenor said. Serenity took a deep breath.

"I'm scared Tenor," she said.

"I know you are," Tenor said. "But we are going to get through this, I promise." He nuzzled her shoulder and she hugged him. "Are you ready?"

"No," Serenity admitted. "But I am ready for all of this to end."

"That's good enough for me," Tenor said. "You'll be just fine." He laid down beside her, to save his energy.

The sun came up a few hours later. Viper came running up to Tenor.

"Hunters inbound," she said. Tenor jumped to his feet.

"Get this ship behind the mountain, I'm going to check on the riders," he said. Viper nodded. Tenor flew back to the clubhouse as flaming, white fireballs slammed into the side of the mountain. The riders and dragons ran into their huts which were protected by Gronckle iron. Tenor landed in the clubhouse. The whole island shook each time a fireball hit it. Tenor waited for the others, and waited out the attack.

Soon the attack slowed down and the riders gathered in the clubhouse. They were all a bit dazed. Snotlout was the last one to reach the clubhouse.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want to sit through that again," he said. "We have dragons, we should be flying out there and sinking those ships."

"The fire isn't coming from the ships," said Hiccup. "It's coming from the Shelfire." Just then Viggo entered the clubhouse.

"I won'd say I told you so," he said. Tenor and the other dragons growled.

"How'd you get out?" asked Hiccup, shocked.

"Snotlout here, kindly allowed me to use the facilities," Viggo said, patting Snotlout on the shoulder. Everyone glared at Snotlout.

"What? he scares me," said Snotlout.

"Hiccup I insist you let me help you," Viggo begged. "For the sake of us all. The Shelfire has a firing range of up to a mile. Ryker's using the ships, my ships to be exact, to defend it." Hiccup turned to the Twins.

"Ruff, Tuff, you're up," he said. The Twins saluted and left.

"I'll go get the airship," Tenor said. He left the clubhouse and took off.

"What about me?" asked Snotlout.

"You stay here with your new best friend," said Hiccup.

"How is that any fun?" Snotlout wined.

"It's not supposed to be fun," Hiccup snapped. "And I don't care how scary he is, do not let him out of your sight." With that, he left.

Hiccup, Astrid, Heather, and the Twins flew out to meet the hunting ships. Skywalker soon joined them. They all fired at the hunting ships, while avoiding the fireballs from the Shelfire. The ships also fired arrows. Skywalker fired its harpoons back at them. Serenity steered the ship well clear of the Shelfire. The arrows bounced off the side of the ship. But then Serenity felt one of the arrows stab her in the leg. She hissed in pain but kept the ship steady, even though she was loosing feeling in her leg due to the dragonroot. She couldn't take the arrow out, since it kept her from bleeding out. She steered the ship in for another attack. The other dragons shot fire at the ships, and managed to sink a few. But then they all got a good look at the Shelfire and the ship on it's back. There were several hunters on a low deck, slamming huge hammers into the dragon's back, making it shoot fireballs.

"Of course it wouldn't attack us on it own," said Hiccup. "We can't take them out without harming the dragon."

"I get the feeling that was the whole idea," said Astrid.

"Don't worry, Shark will know what to do," Tenor said. "She knows this dragon better than anyone, except Draco himself."

They went back to fighting the Shelfire. But they could not put a single dent in the ship. The airship couldn't even take it out. Hiccup pulled up alongside Astrid and Heather.

"There's no way of stopping that thing without harming the dragon," he said.

"We may not have a choice Hiccup," said Astrid.

"Let's regroup," said Hiccup. The three of them met back up with Skywalker and the Twins. When they all met up, Hiccup spotted Snotlout speeding towards them on Hookfang. Smoke billowed out of the stables.

"Snotlout, where's Viggo?" asked Hiccup. "And is that the stables on fire?"

"You said don't let him out no matter what," said Snotlout.

"Snotlout! Use your brain," Hiccup shouted. He then flew back towards the stables.

He landed on the runway and dismounted. He ran into the stables and unlocked Viggo's cell. He then assisted Viggo outside.

"You came back for me," Viggo said, trying to catch his breath. "I am honored."

"Don't be," said Hiccup. "If I had left you in there it would make me no better than you."

"It is good you returned, I can help you defeat my brother and the Shelfire," Viggo insisted.

"Well, you have this all figured out don't you," said Hiccup, getting on Toothless's back.

"As a matter of fact I do," said Viggo. Hiccup took a deep breath and helped Viggo onto Toothless's saddle behind him. They took off and flew to the arena where the other riders and dragons were gathered. Understandably the other riders did not like that Viggo was out.

"Are we really trusting Viggo being on the loose?" asked Astrid. "Especially now."

"But if Viggo can help us stop this attack..." said Hiccup.

"What if he can't? What if he won't?" asked Astrid. "What if this is all apart of the plan? If it is, we just walked into it."

"Then we just walked into it," said Hiccup. "But I'm calling the shot. Viggo and I are going to take this thing out." He got on Toothless and Viggo got on behind him. They took off. Astrid watched them leave, and couldn't help but be worried about Hiccup. She turned to Stormfly and Tenor.

"I'm going after them," she said. "Will you come Tenor?"

"Sure," Tenor said. Astrid mounted Stormfly and they took off, Tenor followed them. The other riders took off to take out the rest of the ships.

They flew over the ocean looking for Hiccup. Skywalker was still staying in the Shelfire's blind spot. Astrid and Tenor located Hiccup and Viggo hovering over the water. Viggo was holding a dagger over Hiccup's head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Astrid called. Tenor circled them, growling. Hiccup whirled around and saw the dagger.

"What!? what in the name of Thor!?" he exclaimed.

"Astrid, I'm afraid you've misinterpreted the situation," Viggo said, lowering the dagger.

"I'm sure I interpreted it correctly," said Astrid. "Drop the dagger."

"Exactly what I was going to do," said Viggo. And he dropped the dagger into the water. They waited. A few minuets later the water bubbled and a strong, yet familiar, smell filled the air.

The other riders continued to take out the hunting ships. Skywalker assisted with it's harpoons. Serenity got another arrow in her other leg, but she ignored that one too. For a while the riders succeeded in sinking several ships. But the hunters were soon able to down all the Berkian dragons. They splashed down into the water, within feet of the massive Shelfire. The dragons opened his mouth to fire at them.

"Oh man, this is going to hurt," said Snotlout.

"And there's no cover out here," said Heather. The Shelfire opened his mouth even wider. But suddenly it was butted in the head by a Subbmaripper. This distracted the Shelfire and saved the down riders. The two dragons growled at each other.

"Where did that thing come from?" asked Heather.

"And why is it helping us?" asked Snotlout. For an answer Hiccup, Astrid, and Tenor flew overhead.

Hiccup watched the two sea dragons fight, with amazement.

"So the dagger stirred up the water, making the Subbamaripper surface," he said.

"Precisely," said Viggo, proud of himself.

"But how did you know it would react like this?" asked Hiccup.

"The Subbmaripper is the natural enemy of the Shelfire," Viggo explained. Tenor helped the downed riders get back in the air.

"With the Shelfire distracted this'll give us the opportunity to take out the rest of those ships," Hiccup said. The riders did just that, with Skywalker's help. The two sea dragons rammed into each other, gnashing their teeth. Ryker was outraged and tried in vain to regain control of the Shelfire. The bigger sea dragon fired another fireball, that narrowly missed Hiccup and Toothless.

"Okay that was way too close," Hiccup said. "Viggo, I have to leave you on the beach. You're slowing us down."

"Shame, I would have enjoyed watching Ryker go down with the ship," Viggo said. Hiccup said nothing and flew Toothless to the beach. He dropped Viggo off and took off again.

Hiccup and Toothless checked on Dagur's progress. They found him mounted on the Triple Stryke fighting off hunters, and Shattermaster obviously injured. Hiccup knew Serenity was in no position to her healing job. He and Toothless blasted the ships then landed beside the Stryke.

"Brother!" Dagur cried happily.

"Made a new friend did you?" said Hiccup.

"It would seem so," Dagur said. "I love the tails and the snappy sound they make."

"Get Shattermaster back to the Edge and send for Gobber," said Hiccup.

"What about Serenity, I heard she's really good," said Dagur.

"She's still driving the airship," Hiccup explained. "I suspect it will be a while before she can heal anyone." Suddenly the mountain rumbled and the ground shook. Hiccup looked at the mountain, only to see a pillar of smoke coming out of it.

"I'm going to check on Fishlegs, I think he might be in trouble," he said. "Go brother, your dragon needs you." Dagur beamed. Toothless took off and headed for the mountain.

On the other side of the island, the riders and airship sank the rest of the ships. Skywalker took out about half of them. Serenity had taken two more arrows, one in her shoulder, and one deep in her side. The dragonroot was making flying the ship very difficult. The crew was so focused on the fight, that they didn't noticed. Soon all the ships were sunk. The riders and dragons overlooked the destruction.

"Guys look!" cried Heddrod. He pointed towards the horizon. They all followed his gaze. Re and Aurora were speeding towards them, and a tall black fin was cutting through the water after them. Shark spotted the two fighting sea dragon and roared at them. The Ripper and the Shelfire stopped in time to see her rear up out of the water. She glared down at them, and was quick to see the ship strapped to her Shelfire's back.

"Please don't kill us my queen," the Shelfire begged.

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on it," Shark assured him. She then latched her strong jaws on the ship, and ripped it off the Shelfire's back. She then crushed it with her jaws, and tossed it as far as she could.

"Thanks Shark," said the Shelfire, gratefully.

"I've been worried about about you dear friend," Shark said. "I'm just glad you're alive."

"Let's get out of here," said the Ripper. "Get as far from these humans as possible." Shark smiled and nodded. She turned around and dove into the water, both her henchmen close on her flanks. Re, Aurora, and the rest of the Draconian dragons headed up to the restless mountain, leaving Serenity to fly the ship back still unaware that she as injured.

Hiccup landed on the crater of the volcano where Fishlegs waited with Meatlug and the Eruptadon dragonet.

"Hiccup, the Eruptadon has delayed the flow of lava," Fishlegs said. "The volcano is finally stable."

"Great job Fishlegs," said Hiccup. "Go get the others, we need to do a sweep of the island." Fishlegs got on Meatlug and took off, taking the Eruptadon with him. Hiccup looked down at the lake of magma below as Re, Aurora, and Tenor circled the crater.

"Looks like this nightmare is finally nearing an end," he said to Toothless. "We're out of danger."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that," said Viggo, as Stormfly landed with Viggo on her back holding Astrid's ax to Astrid's throat. Both Astrid and Stormfly looked genially scared.

"Viggo," Hiccup growled. "Let me guess, you want the Dragon Eye in exchange for Astrid."

"It sounds so much colder when you say it," said Viggo. "But yes. I am grateful for your help in eliminating my brother, but now I ask that you return it to it's rightful place, with me." Hiccup pulled the Dragon Eye out of his pocket, and looked at it. "Come on Hiccup, are you really going to sacrifice your future, all the wonderful times ahead of you for that?" Hiccup smirked, an idea forming in his mind.

"Well when you put it that way," he said. "No I don't." And he chucked the Dragon Eye clear over Stormfly, towards the volcano. Viggo dropped the ax, and jumped off Stormfly to try to catch it. But he missed and it fell into the magma. Viggo turned and glared at Hiccup and Astrid. Suddenly there came a furious roar from above. They looked up to see Re flying towards them. He swooped down and shot fire right at Viggo. Then with an even louder roar, pushed Viggo into the volcano, before rejoining is comrades. Hiccup rushed to the edge, only to find no hint of Viggo.

"I didn't want it to end like this," he said, shocked. Astrid came up beside him, also shocked. She looked up Re who had gone back to circling.

"Are you okay?" she asked Hiccup.

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine," Hiccup said.

"It's finally over," Astrid said. "It is over isn't it?"

"Yeah, looks like it," Hiccup said. They turned to face each other.

"Look, I should have listened to you," said Astrid. "You're our leader, and our relationship can't get in the way of that. It won't happen again, I promise."

"Okay, as long as you keep telling me what you're thinking," Hiccup said. "I rely on you Astrid, I always have. Deal?" He held his hand out. Astrid grasped his hand with both of hers.

"Deal," she said. She pulled Hiccup towards her, so she could kiss him. Suddenly they heard the other riders and dragons land in front of them. They quickly pulled apart, blushing. Re and his comrades landed as well. Re had a stern look on his face, showing no regret for shoving Viggo into the volcano.

"Okay, we need to do a sweep of the island," Hiccup said, a hand around Astrid's shoulders. "Make sure the island's safe." Just then Heather spotted the airship sailing towards the Edge, and it seemed to be wobbling dangerously.

"Guys, I think Serenity's in trouble," she said. They all looked down at the airship. At once they got on their dragons and flew down. On the way Hiccup looked at Re.

"Why Re?" he asked. "That wasn't how I wanted it to end."

"Too bad," Re said. "We don't always get what we want, especially in a war." He sped up and landed on the cliff.

The airship headed for the cliff as the other dragons landed. It was loosing altitude rapidly and kept wobbling.

"Serenity pull up!" Tenor called. But Serenity was loosing consciousness from the pain and the dragon root. The world spun, and tipped. She could barely keep her eyes open, let alone keep the ship straight. The riders and dragons watched in horror as the ship hit the edge of the cliff and flipped upside down. It rolled onto its side, breaking its wings and fins. Then it skidded to a stop, the red balloon deflated. Serenity fell out of the ship, covered in blood with four arrows sticking out of her body. She curled into a ball, clutching her bleeding side. Re turned to Hiccup.

"We'll take care of her, you guys take care of the island," he said. Hiccup nodded and got back on Toothless. The riders left the Draconians too look after their healer. They circled the island, making it a victory lap.

High above them however, volcano erupted.


End file.
